Serene White Dreams
by BK-Vatras
Summary: As the mundane days in Lowee drag on, a stranger knowing nothing of Gamindustri is discovered. Though the Goddess offers to show him around out of kindness, her true motive is to learn about this odd individual. Who is he? Where did he come from? How did he arrive? Is he the unassuming person he appears to be, or something else entirely?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **I've had this done for a while, and it's been gnawing at the back of my mind the whole time. I felt like it was about time I put it out here for some sense of closure, so I can move on to writing other things. For my first fanfic and finished story, I'd say that, if nothing else, this was a good learning experience.

Criticism is greatly appreciated and highly encouraged. If it is at all possible, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

[Frost]

When I open my eyes, I see the stone ceiling of a dimly lit room. Beneath me, I feel an old, worn-out bed. Next to me, I see a set of bars, beyond which stand two guards in white robes. _Oh, right. I was arrested._ I swing my feet off the bed and stand up. I stretch a bit, and the guards take notice. Their hoods do a good job hiding their faces.

"Awake, are you?" one of them asks.

"No, not yet," I reply.

He doesn't laugh. Instead, he slides something through a horizontal gap in the bars near the floor. It's a tray with some food. Bread, apples, and a bottle of water.

"Our Goddess wishes to treat you with some degree of hospitality," the guard says. "Consider yourself fortunate."

I take the tray over to the bed to eat in silence. The bread and fruit are both fresh and the water is cold. _Surprisingly good service. Especially for a dungeon._ When I finish, I hear a pair of footsteps start echoing from down the hall. The two guards back away from the bars and bow in the direction of the noise.

A few moments later, two more guards arrive, alongside a young girl, floating just above the ground. Her hair is light blue and spiky, her eyes are red, she has two angular wing-like things floating behind her back, and she's wearing a white, skin-tight suit.

"This is him, Lady White Heart," one of the guards says. "He's been treated according to your requests."

"I'd damn well hope so," White Heart snaps back.

She moves a bit closer to the bars, and I stand up to walk over to her. She seems angry, especially her tone of voice. Still, she studies me carefully. The guards back themselves against the far wall, probably not wanting to get in her way.

She starts to float a bit higher. "Do you know why you've been arrested?" she asks, looking down on me.

"Nope," I respond.

"Then you should know that-" she stops herself. "Wait, what?"

"I was hoping someone would tell me…"

Suddenly, White Heart's angry, intimidating aura begins to falter. For a few moments, as she looks around the dungeon and my cell, she seems much more timid. Then she glares at me and her angry aura returns. She turns to the guards. "Let him out," she orders.

"L-Lady White Heart!" One of the guards steps forward. "Are you sure-"

"Did. I. Stutter?" She clenches a fist, and the guards obey. "We'll hold the interrogation somewhere else. Make sure he doesn't try anything funny." She turns her gaze back on me. "Oh, and this might go without saying, but…" Out of nowhere, an axe suddenly forms in her hand. She points it's blade at my neck. "You'll be in some serious trouble if you act out of line. Got it?"

I raise my hands up. "U-Understood."

Her axe disappears. "Good. Let's get going." Surrounded by guards on all sides, I start to move towards the exit. Right as we reach the stairs, White Heart turns back to me. "What's your name?" she asks.

"My name?" I repeat. She nods, annoyed. I think for a few moments. "Frost."

"Frost, huh?" White Heart repeats. "Take him to the lobby of the Basilicom."

After giving her orders to the guards, White Heart flies up the stairs, leaving us behind.

* * *

{Blanc}

I can't believe those guards. Locking someone up without even telling him his charges? More importantly, without telling _me_ the charges? _If we weren't short staffed I'd've fired every single person in that room. We need to hold some sort of a tryout for new guardsmen soon…_

The Basilicom has been closed to the public for now, just to make sure that we aren't interrupted. Once everyone is cleared out, the guards come back up with Frost.

His hair is dirty-blonde, and his skin is pretty pale. He's wearing plain jeans, black shoes without laces, and a hooded long-sleeve shirt that seems a little too big for him. Surprising, since he's actually pretty tall, especially for someone who only looks like he's in his late teens. He's wearing a black jacket that looks seriously torn up. The rest of his clothes seem fine, so it stands out. But the thing that stands out the most are his eyes. The irises are a light gray, so light that they almost look totally white.

The guards leave him a few meters away from me, then spread out around him. He doesn't kneel or anything. He just puts his hands in his jacket pockets and waits for me to start. _Is he gutsy or an idiot?_

"So," I begin, "is it true that you don't know why you've been arrested?"

"Yes," Frost replies.

I shut my eyes and sigh. _Quit wasting time, Blanc…_ I turn to one of the guards. "What are his charges?"

He steps forward. "He has been spotted loitering near the Basilicom, without entering or speaking with any of it's attendees," the guard explains. "He's primarily suspected of stalking you, Lady White Heart."

"A stalker, huh?" I make sure to sound indifferent, but deep down I know that this is either going to be a completely pointless waste of time, or an extremely serious issue. "Is this true, Frost? Was stalking me your intention?"

"Um…" He looks away. His hands come out of his pockets and start fidgeting, probably involuntarily. He doesn't say anything.

"Answer our Goddess when she speaks to you!" a guard says.

I raise a hand in his direction to quiet him down. "Just be honest," I say, lightening my tone a bit. Then I return it to normal. "And hurry it up already!"

"I…don't know," Frost says. "I just had some sort of strange feeling about this place. I don't really know how I can describe it." He sighs deeply. "I suppose you might call it stalking. However, I don't recall seeing _you_ until today."

"You've…never see me before?" I ask. "Ever?"

"N-No…"

_Even if he's from another nation, how could he possibly not know who I am?_ "What nation are you from? You're pretty tall… Are you Leanboxian?"

"Am I…what?" Frost has look of genuine confusion on his face.

"Okay…" I think for a moment. "Let me change the question. If it isn't me, then which of the Goddesses do you choose to follow? Or, do you not follow any?"

"Goddesses?"

"Yeah, that's what I said." I'm annoyed, but still intrigued. _What the heck is with this guy?_ "Myself, Green Heart, Black Heart, or Purple Heart? Which is it?"

He scratches the back of his head. _He really doesn't know how to answer…_ "I guess you could say that I'm new here…"

"Really now…" Not to far fetched, actually. Lots of continents overseas are still unexplored, so it's totally possible for there to be other nations and civilizations out there. Not to mention, there's Neptune, with all her dimension hopping that the rest of us always get dragged into. "Where are you from, then?"

Frost looks down and bites his lip. I get all kinds of things from his expression. Sadness, confusion, worry… He seems oddly defenseless. One of the guards decides to take a step forward. "You must be quite the fool to ignore our Goddess like this. Answer her!"

"Hey, shut up!" I yell. "Don't bother him!" Everyone looks at me in surprise. "Don't speak out of line!" I say to the guard. "It ain't your place to be judging this guy. You brought him to me for a reason, remember?"

"M-My apologies, Lady White Heart," the guard says, kneeling. "It's just… Do you think we could get this over with quickly?"

"Why?" I ask. "Is there anything else you need to report?"

"No, it's just… The new episode of that Anime is airing soon, and I want to be able to discuss it online as soon as possible."

"Wait, do you mean Dogoo Slayer?" one of the other guards says. "I thought that was premiering tomorrow night!"

The rest of the guards start murmuring among themselves while I stare at them in disbelief and irritation. _You've gotta be freaking kidding me._ "Tell you what," I begin. "You can all leave right now!"

They all turn to look at me. "R-Really?!"

"Of course!" I then summon my axe. "I'll give you a few days off to recover in the hospital after I'm done with you! NOW SHUT IT!" They don't say another word. I sigh. _I _really _need to hold tryouts soon…_

* * *

[Frost]

After White Heart finishes threatening her guards, she turns back to me. "As much as I hate to agree with these dimwits, we really should be wrapping this up soon." Her axe disappears again. "Are you comfortable talking about your past? It'll make this a lot easier if you do, but I won't force you." She glares at the guards, probably to make sure that they don't speak up again.

"I'd rather not," I say. "Also…would it be okay for me to ask you a question?"

"What is it?" White Heart responds.

It takes me a few moments to speak up. Even without her anger being directed at me, I still feel like one wrong word could get me executed. Of course, that might just be my severe lack of confidence right now, after not understanding any of what she's told me. Still, it seems like she's taken pity on me, after realizing (and thankfully forgiving) my ignorance.

"I think the thing that kept drawing me to this place was…a girl," I say.

White Heart doesn't respond for a few moments. "A girl? Gotta be more specific than that. Someone who works here, or just a frequent attendee?"

"I'm not sure, but I'd guess the latter," I say. "She looks pretty young, usually wears a hat, has short brown hair, and pale blue eyes. Does that sound familiar?"

White Heart's eyes widen in what looks like shock. She bites her lip and averts her gaze from me. "Well shit…" She sighs loudly. "Guess that makes this decision a little easier, then." She sounds defeated, but also relieved.

Then her entire body becomes enveloped in a bright white light. I look away from it for a moment, and when I look back, White Heart is gone. Instead, the girl I had just described is standing there in her place. Her clothes and figure are exactly the same as I remember.

"This is what I usually look like," the girl says.

Her voice is softer. "You're-" I start speaking, but one of the guards cuts me off.

"Lady White Heart!" he exclaims. "What are you doing?! You can't-"

The girl – who is apparently still White Heart – raises her hand to silence him. If she really _is_ still White Heart, I find it hard to believe. She doesn't have that constant air of anger from before. Of course, that's looking past the physical differences. She then looks my way again, but looks away almost immediately.

She fidgets. "Uh… Um…" _She doesn't know what to say…?_

"You… You're really White Heart?" I finally ask.

"Yes, I am," she replies. "Though, I'd rather you call me Blanc. Especially if we're going to be spending a fair bit of time together."

One of the guards walks towards her, then kneels. "Lady White Heart…" he begins. "Just what are you planning to do?"

"Simple," she starts. "Frost will be living in the Basilicom, and I will be showing him around Lowee."

The guard looks like he's about to say something, but Blanc raises her hand to silence him. "I don't want any more interruptions," she tells them. Despite being so much quieter and more reserved in her current form, she still has that sense of regality that almost demands respect. It's impressive for someone with such a young appearance. "So, let's get going," she says, beckoning to me. "The rest of you can reopen the Basilicom."

"Lady White Heart, are you sure that you should be going alone with him?" A guard asks.

"I can take care of myself," Blanc says. "Besides, he doesn't look too dangerous."

I stare at her. "Is that a compliment, or…?"

"Don't worry about it," she replies, trying to hide a small giggle. "Now come on."

* * *

{Blanc}

I'm taking Frost to one of the spare rooms that's pretty far into the Basilicom, past both my room, and the one belonging to Rom and Ram. Not the closest one, though. I like to keep one open in case either Rom or Ram don't want to be with each other. Though, I don't think that either of them has ever actually used it before. _Maybe I'll move into it. I don't want to suspect Frost of anything, but… I just don't feel right, keeping him so close to my sisters._

"Does anyone else live here?" Frost asks.

"Just me and my little sisters," I reply. "They're in Planeptune right now. They won't be back until tomorrow."

"Sisters?" he repeats. "So they're Goddesses, too?"

"I'll explain everything to you tomorrow," I say.

I open the door to the guest room and both of us enter. "Feel free to use anything in here," I say. "I'll let the staff know you're here, too, so you can talk to them if you need anything."

"Lot more here than I was expecting…" Frost says, taking in his new room.

It's big and has all the basic necessities, like a bed and closet. _Maybe I'll bring him some games or books later. If he's into that sort of stuff._ He takes off his torn-up jacket and puts it on a coat rack by the door.

"What happened to your jacket?" I ask.

"Your guards torn it up when they arrested me," he says. "Didn't hurt me much otherwise, though… Could've been a lot worse, I guess."

_And they didn't even tell him why…_ "Maybe we'll find a new one tomorrow," I say.

"Not to sound rude, but…" Frost begins. He hesitates for a long moment. "You're being strangely nice to me."

"Would you rather I throw you back into that dungeon?" He looks at me with – for a fleeting moment – genuine fear in his eyes. _I didn't put _that _much edge on my voice, did I?_ "I'm kidding," I say. "You seem like a good person. I still need to keep an eye on you to confirm it, but I don't see any reason to treat you badly. Especially when you seem so…"

"Ignorant?" Frost finishes.

"Well… Yes. Ignorant."

He stays silent for awhile, then turns his attention to the window. _It's night already?_ Then I hear Frost start to laugh. "Thanks," he says. "I hope I'm not too much of a bother."

"It's a Goddess' duty to make sure her subjects are happy," I reply.

"A Goddess, huh?" Frost glances back at me. "Hope you'll be ready for a few hundred questions tomorrow."

"I'll gladly answer them," I say. "Sleep well."

I leave the room, closing the door behind me. _He really is a strange one… Partially because he isn't really all that strange._ I decide to go off to bed a little early. Work on some of my personal projects can be put on hold for a little while. _I wonder if he'll give me any good inspiration for some of my stories…_ That bit of excitement, unfortunately, makes it hard to fall asleep.

_Frost… Just who are you?_


	2. Chapter 2

[Frost]

I wake up so early that the sun is just barely rising, so it's still pretty dark. There's a shower in the bathroom, so I take a quick one before heading out to find something to eat. _Pretty sure I saw a lounge of some kind yesterday._ Sure enough, I manage to find it. There are a few tables and chairs, plus what looks like a bar of some kind, and several small bookshelves lining the walls._Is this a hotel or something?_There's only one other person here: Blanc.

"So, you're an early riser, too?" I ask, walking passed her.

"Not necessarily," she replies, yawning. "I tend to stay up all night working, but I thought that I should go to bed early so we can take the tour."

I sit down at the table with her. "What do you work on all night?"

Her eyes widen a bit. "O-Oh…" _The next thing she says is gonna be a lie, isn't it?_ "Oh, you know… N-Nothing important." _She didn't even try…_

"Fine, I won't ask," I say, shrugging.

The two of us eat a simple breakfast together and leave soon after. _Not the best cereal I've had, but whatev__e__r. __Definitely shouldn't complain to the Goddess… _There's a very light snowfall, and it's absolutely freezing. Blanc walks ahead of me, completely unfazed. _It probably doesn't help that my jacket is in shreds…_ I quicken my pace to catch up with her.

"Not used to the cold?" Blanc asks, having noticed my shivering.

"Not really…" I say. "Is it always like this?"

"Pretty much. There's snow on the ground almost year-round." She turns to look at me again, but judging by her expression, I'm not doing a very good job suppressing my shivering. "We should probably get you a new jacket first, shouldn't we?"

_You think so?_ "Yeah, probably," I reply.

"I think I know a good place. It shouldn't be too busy this early in the morning."

As we walk down the streets of Lowee, I can't help but look around. The buildings are painted in a variety of colors and the architecture is a bit medieval. Some of the decorations that they're covered in make it seem like it's a holiday, but they fit so perfectly that they're probably left on all the time. The best way I can describe it is…magical. _Snow's disrupting it a bit, though…_

"So…" Blanc begins, bringing my attention back to her. "What are your first impressions of Lowee? A-Aside from the prison, of course…"

I take in the scenery one more time. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Pretty, right?" Blanc asks. I nod. "I'm glad to hear that," She says, smiling. "As its ruler, I take great pride in my nation. And as you'll soon see, it has a lot more going for it than just looks. Oh! There it is."

We quicken our pace a bit as we come upon a small clothing shop. Or at least, it _looked_ small, being sandwiched between buildings, but the moment we enter, I see that it's actually quite large. _And more importantly, warm._

There's an older looking man adjusting some of the displays. "Excuse me," Blanc says, getting his attention.

"Ah, hello there, young lady," he replies. Then he notices me. "Ah, and…" His eyes widen. "Young man, what happened to that jacket of yours?"

"We'd rather not talk about that," Blanc says, suppressing the worry in her voice. "But as you can probably tell, a new one is what we're looking for."

"You'll find them around the middle of the store," he says, pointing us in the direction.

"Thank you," Blanc says, bowing her head before the man returns to his work.

Within the center of the store is quite a variety. All different sizes, colors, and accessories.

"Well, take your time to look around," Blanc says. "I'm sure they'll be-"

"This works," I say. I found another black one that fits me well. It has some extra pockets, too. "Where else were you planning on going?"

"Wait, you're done already?!" Blanc asks, flustered. I nod. "You sure you don't want to look around a little more carefully?"

"Not really," I say. "Though… It is still cold out…"

"Yeah, it might not be a bad idea to wait in here for it to warm up a bit," Blanc agrees.

"That's not a problem for you, right?"

Blanc gives me a weird look. "Are you kidding?" she says, stifling a laugh. "You're the one who's never been around Lowee before. This tour is for you, not me."

"You really are being a little too nice to someone you just met in a dungeon."

"How about you shut up and be grateful?" A mischievous smile forms on her lips. "I could lock you back up down there. Keep you in thin clothes so you'll be freezing. Feed you nothing but stale bread and bathwater. Torture information out of you. Maybe get some manual labor-"

"I think I'd like to continue the tour now…" I say.

"Good choice."

We head out of the shop. It's still pretty cold, but the snow has stopped and the wind has died down. _She… She was joking about all of that, right?_

* * *

{Blanc}

It feels pretty warm today, at least when you compare it to how it usually is. After the snow stopped, the sky cleared up almost entirely. It's also about that time when a lot of people start going about their daily commute, so it feels really lively. Unfortunately, we kind of have to avoid the crowds, since I'm busy explaining things to Frost.

We go over all the basics. How a Goddess – or CPU – rules over and protects each of the four nations, and how we gain power from people's faith, or Shares. He listened intently as I explained. It felt really weird to have to explain it all, though. All this is _supposed_ to be common knowledge.

"So, any other specific questions?" I ask.

"No, I think I'm starting to get it," Frost says. "You rule this nation, and the more people like you, the stronger your other form is, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"You look a lot more human right now, though. Can you even fight monsters like that?"

I stare at him. "Of course I can," I say. "I'm weaker, sure, but still just as strong, if not stronger, than some of the top monster hunters in Lowee. I actually take missions at the guild sometimes, just to get out and exercise."

"Guild?" Frost repeats. "So, regular people fight monsters, too?"

"Yeah, they aren't really that big of a threat," I say. "So long as they don't come in massive numbers. Even a novice can take down some weaker monsters all on their own. Have you fought any before?"

"What? No," Frost says.

"Really? You seem tough enough. Can you use magic?"

"Uh… No…" He looks at me like I just said something weird. "Is that…normal around here?"

"Of course. Some people are better at it than others, but anyone can use some basic spells with enough practice. Loweeans are known for their proficiency in spell casting."

"So, I can assume that _you're_ good at it?"

_Well, I walked right into that one…_ I laugh awkwardly. "I'm really not, actually… I know enough that I taught my sisters, though. Actually, why don't I try teaching you?"

"I…doubt that would work."

"Do people not use magic where you're from?"

He looks away from me immediately. We continue walking for a bit in silence. _Still doesn't want to talk about his past, huh? It wouldn't surprise me if he isn't even using his real name. He doesn't seem like a threat, but I can't shake these feelings of suspicion._ His gaze is constantly down turned, and he refuses to remove his hands from his pockets. _He hates the cold, but that doesn't really help me at all…_

"I've spoken about myself and my nation a fair amount," I say. "It'd be unfair if you didn't tell me more about yourself."

He doesn't say anything for awhile. "I get cold easily," he eventually says, quietly.

I sigh. _Oh, really now?_ "Okay…" I think of something more specific. "Let's see… Do you have any siblings?"

"A sister…"

"Well, we have something in-" I cut myself off.

His eyes. Something…changes in them. It's hard to describe. Honestly, his eyes have unsettled me since I first saw them. They're color just seems unnatural. It shouldn't bother me this much, considering the other weird stuff I've seen, but for some reason, I just can't feel comfortable any time I look at them. _Light gray, almost white irises. Like snow or ice._

"Do you get along with your sisters?" Frost asks.

"Well, yes," I say. "They can be a pain at times, but I could never hate them. Even if they get on my nerves every so often, I scold them to make sure that they understand and learn from their mistakes. At the end of the day, I'll always love them."

Frost doesn't say anything. We've gone back into the main part of town, and there are a lot more people around. He looks uncomfortable.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

He nods, then moves closer to me. "Can we…go somewhere else?" he whispers.

"Not a fan of big crowds?" He shakes his head. "Well, we've been walking for a while. I know a good place where we can get something to eat."

He smiles for a brief moment, then goes right back to looking anxious. _I get a bit nervous around new people, but it's never __be _this _bothered__._ It reminds me a bit of yesterday, during the interrogation. At times, he looked so defenseless. _Must've taken a lot for him to even speak up then._

"Say, Frost?" I begin.

He glances around. There aren't any people close to us. He looks back to me, silently urging me to continue.

"You said you have a sister, right? Do you get along with her?"

"No."

His response takes me off guard. It was instant, without a moment of hesitation. "So, where's the place?" he then asks.

I clear my throat and get my bearings straight. "It's just ahead."

I quicken my pace and take the lead. I glance back at him to see that he's still just looking around idly. _I want to ask, but… No, I shouldn't make him talk about personal matters._ Instead, I focus on the delicious food we're about to enjoy. It helps to put my mind at ease.

* * *

[Frost]

"So, how was the manju?" Blanc asks as we leave the stand. "Pretty good, right?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. It was," I reply, even though I barely tasted anything. _Maybe I shouldn't lie this much… _"Anyway, what's next?"

Blanc looks down, thinking. "Well, we've gone over pretty much everything I wanted us to today. It went by quicker than expected, but I'm satisfied if you are."

"Think we could just head back to the Basilicom, then?" I ask.

"Yeah, sure," Blanc says. A look of surprise then flashes across her face. She holds out her hand and a phone suddenly appears in it, similar to the way her axe did yesterday. "Oh, Rom and Ram are almost back! Good time to start heading back."

"Those are your sisters, right?" I ask. "Does that mean that they're Goddesses, too?"

"Well, not quite," Blanc says. "They're just Candidates. They have some followers that they gain power from, but they aren't as powerful as I am. Partially due to their lack of Shares, but also because of their lack of experience. Their talent for magic is definitely impressive, though. I can't help but feel a little jealous at times…"

_I might get to see magic firsthand… Should I be excited or terrified?_ I glance at Blanc. She's smiling happily. It actually makes me feel more comfortable and reassured. _There's just… Something about her._ Then a shop catches my attention.

"Hey, Frost?" I hear Blanc say. I stopped walking without realizing it.

"Oh, sorry," I say. "Don't worry about it."

"You were looking at that book store…" Blanc's eyes seem to roll across the scenery, thinking carefully about what she's going to say next. "Do you…like books?"

"Yeah," I say. "I don't read that often, but I still like to. Do you like them, too?"

"Y-Yes," she replies. "I have a lot in my room and throughout the Basilicom… Would you…like to read some of them?"

She's looking away from me, seemingly embarrassed. "Of course I would," I say.

She looks up and her smile seems to brighten ever so slightly. Of course, it only lasts a moment. Then she goes right back to being quiet and reserved. "Well, we should hurry back then."

We keep walking, taking a more direct route to the Basilicom, instead of the scenic one we took during the tour. _Still a lot of places we didn't go… Not that I'm complaining about _finally _being able to get out of this cold…_

Soon, we reach the Basilicom, but someone is standing in front of it. She seems to be looking down at something in her hands, but her back is turned so I can't tell what. Her hair is long and light purple, and she wears a white…dress? It looks more like an extra long shirt, but she doesn't seem to be wearing pants, so I guess it's a dress.

As we get closer, she turns to see us. Her eyes are purple, as well. "What are you doing here?" Blanc asks her, walking ahead of me.

"Oh, hello Blanc!" the girl says. "I was worried when they said you weren't here. Rom and Ram have already gone inside."

"That was nice of you to accompany them home," Blanc says.

"Well, thank you, but…" She then notices me as I get closer. "Um… Blanc, is this a friend of yours?"

"Oh, right," Blanc says, glancing back at me. "This is Frost." She then gives the girl a brief explanation of what happened yesterday.

"He really doesn't know _anything_ about Gamindustri?" the girl asks Blanc.

"Not outside of what I've told him," Blanc confirms.

The girl then takes a few steps towards me. "Well in that case, I'm Nepgear!" she says, cheerfully. "I'm the CPU Candidate of Planeptune. Nice to meet you!"

"It's…nice to meet you, too," I manage to echo.

"Oh, sorry, are you a little shy?" Nepgear asks. I don't say anything. "I understand. I used to be really nervous all the time too." She then turns back towards Blanc. "Anyway, Blanc, I actually came here because-" Suddenly, the device in her hand vibrates and makes a ringing noise. "Oh, what the goodness, Neptune?" she says, looking at it.

"What is it?" Blanc asks.

"Oh, nothing…" Nepgear says, sighing. "I just need to hurry back to Planeptune. Sorry, I had something I wanted to tell you about, but it can wait."

"Are you sure? You came all the way here to tell me."

"Well, it's actually something that concerns all of us. Maybe we can organize a meeting to discuss it with everyone at some other time."

Nepgear puts the device in a holder strapped to her leg and looks around. No one is here besides us three. Then, she's enveloped in a familiar light. A moment later, I see that she's transformed, now wearing a white, skin tight suit, and having blue eyes and pink hair. She floats above the ground, rising rapidly into the air.

"See you later, Blanc!" Nepgear says. "It was nice meeting you, Frost!" She then flies off. Within seconds, she's out of sight.

"Wonder what she wanted to tell me…?" Blanc wonders aloud. "Well, anyway, let's go."

We head into the Basilicom, going in the direction of our rooms. I can already hear noises coming from one of the rooms. Blanc walks ahead of me and looks in first.

"Welcome back, you two," she says, cheerfully.

"Hi Blanc," says a quiet, timid voice.

"Did ya miss us?" asks a louder, more excitable voice.

"Oh, I don't know… I was kind of enjoying the quiet…" Blanc replies, sarcastically distant. All of them laugh. Then Blanc turns towards me and narrows her eyes. "Hey, what're you standing there for? You should say hi, at least."

I step forward.

* * *

{Blanc}

Slowly, Frost peeks his head in to take in the scene. Rom and Ram are both sitting on the floor surrounded by crayons, coloring books, and blank sheets of paper. _And none of them are important documents. __About time they learn._

"I'd like for you two to meet Frost," I say. "Frost, these are my sisters. Think you could introduce yourselves?"

"I'm Ram!" she shouts happily.

"I'm Rom…" she says quietly. "Um… Blanc? What's Mr. Frost doing here?"

"His eyes are seriously creeping me out…" Ram adds.

"That's a bit rude," Frost says. "Thought a Goddess would be a bit nicer."

_Well, they are still just Candidates…_

Rom and Ram's eyes widen in surprise. "H-Hey!" Ram begins. "Y-You aren't supposed to know about that! Who told you?!"

"Calm down, Ram," I say. "You two don't need to worry about him."

Once again, I give a brief rundown of the situation to them.

"That sounds scary…" Rom says after I'm done. "Were you scared, Mr. Frost?"

"A little bit, yeah," he admits. "But, Blanc has been really nice to me this whole time." He turns his gaze more towards me. "Thanks, by the way."

"You seem to be in a better mood," I say.

"It helps that I'm not freezing," he replies. Then he crouches down so he's closer to their level. "Say, do you two get along?"

"Duh, of course we do!" Ram says. "We're inseparable!"

"Yeah!" Rom adds.

"That's good to hear," Frost says, smiling.

_He's a little close to them…_ "Hey," I say. Frost stands up. "Could you leave us alone for a little bit, Frost?"

"Oh… Sure," he says. "Can I get some books from your room?"

"Just stick with the ones in the lounge from this morning," I say. "I don't need you snooping around my room without me present."

"Understood," he replies, nodding, before he walks out. _I'm glad he's so cooperative._ I close the door behind him, then sit on the floor with Rom and Ram.

"Now listen here you two," I begin. "Frost is staying here so I can keep an eye on him. I don't want to assume he's up to anything, but I can't ignore how suspicious he is."

"But, you just said that we don't need to worry about him," Ram says.

"I…didn't want to sound rude," I say. "Listen. Just be cautious around him. If he ever tries to do anything to either of you or any of the staff, I need to know. Even if it's just a hunch."

"He seemed nice…" Rom says. "But… His eyes are kind of scary."

"Yeah… I think so, too," I say. "If he ever asks or does something weird, come straight to me. If I'm not around, then he _claims_ to be pretty weak, so you two might be able to fight him off. I'd be careful, though. Do you two understand me?"

They look at each other for a moment. Ram nods fiercely. "Yes!" she says.

"Yes!" Rom says.

I pull them both into a hug. "Thanks. Love you both." I let go of them. "If we're lucky, then he won't be a bad guy at all. Make sure you're both nice to him, okay?"

They nod and smile in agreement, then we head towards the lounge. Frost is already reading at a table. _Is that one of Falcom's books? He's got good taste._ Rom and Ram set their coloring books and papers on the other end of the table and I sit in front of Frost. He seems pretty intensely focused on the book.

"Found a good one?" I ask.

He looks up and seems surprised. "Oh, that didn't take too long," he says. "And yeah, this one seems good. Just grabbed it on a whim since it seems to be part of a series."

"If you see any you like, feel free to keep them in your room," I say.

"Thank you," he says. "Any that might help me understand this world a little better?"

"You mean, like, history books?"

"Preferably something a little more entertaining…"

"Oh, of course! I'll see what I can find."

"I'd appreciate that," Frost says, standing up. "I'll be in my room."

He walks out right after saying it. _Learning about the culture through literature? Why didn't I think of that?!_ I stand up and immediately start to look through the bookcases in the room. _There are some supernatural thrillers that take place in real life locations. Maybe a relaxing, slice of life manga to show him how people live?_ I can feel myself getting excited already.

* * *

[Frost]

I spent most of the day in my room, reading. Blanc came by earlier with some more books. She seemed really enthusiastic while she gave me a brief description of each of them. Though, I don't like to read multiple books at a time. I prefer keeping my focus on one so I can absorb as much of it as possible.

A bit later, one of the Basilicom's maids comes by my room to say that dinner is ready. I follow her into a surprisingly small room to find Blanc, Rom, and Ram all sitting around a low table together. There are no chairs, but it's so low that they all sit on their knees.

"Hey!" Ram calls out. "You gonna join us or what?"

"Oh… Sure," I say, taking a seat next to Blanc. "Are you sure you want me here?"

"What, you think I'm gonna leave you to eat alone in your room?" Blanc asks rhetorically.

"I appreciate it, yeah, but…" I look around. _No maids or other servants. Just us._ The walls don't have many decorations, aside from simple white and light blue colors, but also with this unexpected autumn red and orange in some places. "I would've expected a trio of Goddesses to have a more grandiose dining room, I guess. At least then, it wouldn't feel like I'm intruding on a small, family gathering. Though, I'm sure I'd still feel out of place…"

"Don't worry about it," Blanc says. "Besides, it gets kinda boring with just the three of us every time. So, go ahead. I promise, it tastes great!"

Before me is a large bowl of noodles, with various vegetables and bits of meat sprinkled throughout it.

"So, what did you two do over in Planeptune?" Blanc asks the twins.

"Not much, really," Ram says.

"We wanted to play with Miss Nepgear, but she was really busy," Rom says.

"Yeah, she could only play with us for a few minutes at a time," Ram continues. "Then, she'd have to go off somewhere and wouldn't come back for awhile. She was starting to look pretty tired.

"I wonder what she was up to…" Blanc mutters, looking down. "Probably had something to do with what she wanted us to talk about today." She looks back up. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. It wasn't all bad, was it?"

"Nope!" Ram says. "Neptune wasn't doing anything, so she played with us instead!"

Blanc sighs. "Well, that's not surprising."

_Nepgear said she was the CPU Candidate of her nation and I think she mentioned a Neptune, as well… So, another one of these Goddesses…?_

"Um… Mr. Frost?" Rom says.

"Oh, sorry," I say, coming out of my thoughts. "What is it?"

"You haven't touched your food yet… It's really tasty, but not when it gets cold."

Ram gasps. "Oh, duh! What are we doing talking? Let's eat!"

They both dig into their noodles a little too enthusiastically. "Hey, slow down you two!" Blanc says. "Don't make a mess in front of a guest! Or in general!" She sighs, but before she goes back to her own bowl, she glances at mine. "Don't you forget to eat, too."

"Oh, sorry," I say, before taking a quick mouthful of noodles.

…_Damnit. Just like earlier…_

"Mr. Frost?" Rom says. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? N-No, sorry," I say. I continue to eat.

"You don't have to look so serious," Blanc says, stifling a laugh. "Just try to relax, alright?"

We all laugh together before returning to our food.

I try to get through the bowl as quickly as I can without making too much noise or any mess. Blanc is preoccupied with the twins and her own bowl. Once finished, I stand up and start to walk away.

"Hey!" Blanc calls out. "You don't have to leave so soon. Want another bowl?"

"No, I'm fine," I say. "I… I just really want to go back to reading…" _Well, it's not a lie._

A look of surprise appears on Blanc's face, before it morphs into delight. "Oh, of course! Hey, did I tell you that the one you're reading now is from one of my all time favorite authors? I even know her personally!"

"Well, that just makes me even more excited," I say. "Good night."

"Good night!" All three of them say in unison.

I leave the dining room and retrace my steps back to my room. _Think I'm starting to get the layout of this place._ When I reach my room, I close the door behind me. I take a deep breath, trying to convince myself that it's not a big deal. I sit on the bed and go back to my book. Still, as much as I try to ignore it, it's just too weird to keep off my mind. _I don't think it was a problem yesterday, but ever since this morning… It's no use._

_I still don't taste a thing._


	3. Chapter 3

{Blanc}

I wake up to the sound of footsteps running across the floor outside my room. I've lived with her long enough to instantly know that it's Ram. I then realize why they're so loud. My ear is to the floor, because last night, I fell asleep at my computer, and subsequently, fell onto the floor. When I force myself to get up, my whole body is sore.

I wake up my computer for a moment to confirm the progress I've made so far on my novel. _Six whole pages yesterday. I can do better._ I shut it down, get dressed, and head to the lounge, where I expect the other three to be waiting.

Sure enough, they're all there. Rom (drawing and/or coloring), Ram (running around with a toy sword), and Frost (reading a book), who's been living here for about a week now. He's gotten a pretty good grasp of how Gamindustri works, but unfortunately, I'm not much closer to learning anything about his past.

"Good morning, Blanc!" Rom calls out to me.

"You are late!" Ram says, running towards me with her sword. "You must be punished for your-"

I dodge her strike, take the sword, and knock her hat off. She loses her balance and falls on her butt. "This is why you use magic and not melee weapons," I say.

She sticks her tongue out at me as I throw her toy sword to the side. I yawn as I pass by Frost on my way to the cereal dispenser. "Come get something to eat you three," I say.

Rom and Ram hurry over, but Frost is still absorbed in his book. I sigh, and decide to get a few pieces of fruit for him, since I remember him saying that he doesn't like the cereal much. I put an apple down right next to him, but he doesn't react. _I know you're messing with me now._ I put a banana right in between him and his book, to which he finally decides to register my existence.

"Good morning," he says, placing in his bookmark and closing his book. "I assume you slept well last night?" _I have bags under my eyes, don't I?_

"Quiet," I order.

I sit down next to him while Rom and Ram sit across from us. "Today's not a good day to sleep in, Blanc," Ram says.

"Oh, really…?" I ask, yawning. "And why is that?"

"Um… Don't you remember?" Rom asks. "You were talking to Miss Nepgear, and-"

I choke on my cereal. "Oh, crap, that _is_ today!"

"You got salival milk on the book," Frost notes.

"Ew…" Rom adds. She's sitting right across from him, but scoots back a bit.

"Oh… S-Sorry…" I say, feeling embarrassed. Frost wipes the cover with a napkin, but while it looks fine, I don't think either of us will get over that. _I'm sure I have a spare copy somewhere…_ "Anyway, Frost," I begin. "You haven't done any research on the other CPUs, have you?"

He hesitates for a moment. "No," he says. "I've been meaning to, but whenever I'm about to start I end up losing track of time reading something else."

_I know_ that _feeling._ "Well in that case, why don't you come with us?"

"Come… Wait, what?"

"We're going to Planeptune today to talk about…whatever it is Nepgear wants to talk about. Everyone will be there."

"You want me to come…?"

"I think it's important for you to learn more about Gamindustri has a whole, instead of just staying confined to Lowee." _Besides, it's not like I can let you out of my sight. Not yet._ "Come on, it'll be fun. Right, you two?"

"Yeah!" Rom says. "Everyone else is really nice, just like Blanc!"

I turn towards Frost with a reassuring smile, but he's looking down. He's biting his lip and almost looks like he's shivering. "H-How many are there?" he asks.

_Oh… Right._ Over the past week, he's hardly left the Basilicom at all. I'm thankful for that, as it makes him easy to watch, but on the rare occasions that we do go out, he never says a word. He's not exactly talkative normally, but out in public, he just seems uncomfortable. I feel sorry for him just watching. _Still, I know that the others will be kind to him. They can be a bit lazy, boastful, or just plain irritating, but I know their hearts are all in the right place._

"There are fives others," I tell him. "Three CPU's and two Candidates. You've already met Nepgear, so it's really only four strangers."

He says nothing. The same nearly white eyes that I'd sometimes see as unsettling and off putting now seem almost pitiable. _I don't want to leave him alone, but…_ Before I can attempt to find a compromise, he suddenly tilts his head. His neck cracks loudly.

"EW!" Ram shouts in surprise. "What was that noise?!"

He grins, but tries to hide it by holding his wrist up to his mouth, with his elbow resting on the table. "What? It didn't hurt," he says. Then he turns towards me. "Yeah, sure. If you really want me too, then I can go."

"You're sure?" I ask. He nods, and I return to gesture. "Okay. We'll leave in a few minutes."

"I-Is no one gonna talk about that?" Ram asks. "Why did you do that?!"

"It's a bad habit," Frost says. Then he stretches out and cracks all of this knuckles. Ram squirms, squeals, then runs off. Rom follows her, trying to calm he down. Frost laughs quietly as he starts walking towards his room.

I laugh to myself. _Messing with the prankster. Not bad._ I turn back to compliment him, but he's already gone, leaving the milk stained book on the table.

* * *

[Frost]

"Wait, how are we getting there?" I ask.

Once everyone was ready to leave, we started heading out of the Basilicom. Once outside, the three of them just stopped walking and started talking for a few moments until I caught up. Once I did, they just looked at me.

"We're gonna fly!" Ram says, raising a fist to the sky with a small jump.

"…What…?" I manage.

Then, all of them are enveloped in that same light which I now know means a transformation. With all three of them doing it at once, I have to shield my eyes for the few moments it takes. Once the light subsides, I see that Blanc has returned to the form she took when I first met her. The twins have taken similar appearances, and looking closely, they all seem to have aged a few years.

"Alright, let's get to it," Blanc says.

"And how am I supposed to-" Blanc doesn't let me finish my question.

She flies straight towards me, grabs both my arms, and takes to the skies with the twins close behind her. The ground is moving away rapidly.

"H-H-Hey! I did _not_ say I was okay with this!" I shout.

"Don't be such a baby," Blanc says. "I won't let go." She turns back to the twins. "Hey! If he squirms enough and I drop him, you two better be ready to catch!"

"Got it!" Rom says.

"No problem!" Ram says.

"You just said that you _won't_ drop me!" I shout.

"I won't!" Blanc retorts. "But seriously, stop squirming, dammit! If you don't want me to drop you, then don't make it so hard to keep a grip on you!"

"Oh, and don't look down either, Mr. Frost," Rom warns.

I shut my eyes, but in a way, that just makes it worse. "I hate this, I hate this, I hate this… What Gods in this world can I pray to?"

"You've been living with them!" Blanc replies.

"Oh… Right."

"Don't worry, Frost!" Ram says. "Blanc's pretty strong. She might hold tighter if you make her angry."

"I'd really rather not!" I reply.

She and Rom giggle to themselves, and I even notice Blanc smiling. I shut my eyes tight, refusing to open them until we get closer to our destination. Even when Blanc says that the nation is in sight, I keep them closed. _Wait, already that close? How fast are we going? I'm not sure if I want to know, actually…_

"Alright, we're about to land!" Blanc says.

I finally open my eyes. When I do, she drops me. I panic for a moment, but the ground is less than a meter below us. Still, I wasn't ready for it, and hit the ground hard. I roll over and see Blanc standing over me.

"Come on, pick yourself up," she says. After a flash of light, she returns to her human form and reaches a hand down. "Good thing the streets here are pretty clean."

I take her hand and she pulls me up. _Wow… She _is _strong in this form._ I then look around. Everything feels futuristic; practically the opposite of Lowee, with it's more fantasy-like appearance. Everything is clean and sleek, with bright lights everywhere and holographic screens replacing signs.

"Welcome to Planeptune!" I turn towards the young sounding voice and see a girl with purple hair wearing a hoodie. The way she said that was overly grand, and she laughs as she gets closer. "Hey there, Blanc, Rom, Ram, and…" She points at me. "Frost, right? Blanc mentioned you in an email."

"Oh… Hi," I say.

"Aw, come on!" she says, almost whining. "What kind of a greeting is that? You can't address the Goddess of this fine nation like that!"

"Goddess…?" I repeat. "Wait, so you're-"

"Neptune!" Blanc interrupts. "Quit messing with him."

"Aw, where's your sense of fun, Blanc?" Neptune replies. "He looks _way_ too tense, like he hasn't seen a save point in hours! I'm a master of relaxation, so allow me to demonstrate my many talents of-"

"Laziness?" Blanc interrupts.

"Well. I was gonna go with 'looseness' and 'calmness' but if ya wanna be rude about it…"

Blanc sighs. "Anyway, this is Neptune. She's the CPU of Planeptune and the older sister of Nepgear."

_Well, that's surprising._ "She's the-"

"Oh, is it happening again?" Neptune interrupts. "The predictable pattern of newcomers just refusing to accept that I am, in fact, the older of us two? The protagonist should be treated better than this!"

"…Protagonist?"

"Ignore her," Blanc says, as she starts walk towards the building in front of us, which I can only assume is the Basilicom of this nation. "Come on, the others won't be nearly has annoying. Is the meeting in your room, Neptune?"

"As always!" she replies. "Everyone's already here, by the way. Frosty here didn't slow you down too much, did he, Blanc?"

"Already? I thought I was right on time."

"Yeah, I was surprised, too. Guess they were all excited to meet your guest, after you told Nepgear to let everyone know." Neptune puts her hands behind her head. "I'm sure Lonely Heart is excited to try and steal him away from you. Or, maybe old Busty Heart is gonna want him, considering her, uh…tastes."

I lean towards Blanc. "Should I be worried?"

"If they mess with you, I'll bash their faces in," she replies.

Her response takes me aback slightly, but I keep walking. _That's…aggressively considerate of her._

The Basilicom for Planeptune has a pretty similar layout to the one in Lowee, but with a more futuristic aesthetic. Also, a lot fewer books. Instead, there seem to be a lot of video game cases and consoles that seem pretty old all over the place. There's a mini-fridge around every corner, too, and even the occasional little gadget that looks half-built.

Eventually we reach Neptune's room. She enters first, followed by the twins, with Blanc staying right in front of me.

"Everyone is here!" Neptune shouts. "Finally, we can get this party started!"

In the room, there are three others I haven't seen before. Two of them have black hair and red eyes, though one looks a bit younger than the other. They're sitting on the couch together. _Another CPU and her Candidate, I assume._ There's also a blonde, blue-eyed girl in green who seems much older than the rest of them. She's sitting at a table, which is covered in various snacks, as is the coffee table in front of the couch. Blanc and I sit on the opposite side of the table, while Rom and Ram follow Neptune over to a few bean bags next to the couch.

"It's not a party, Neptune," says the older of the black-haired girls. _Wait… Considering Neptune and Nepgear, is she really the older one? Guess I can't really be certain._ "I was under the impression that this is an important meeting for all of us. I even made sure to show up early, just because of how urgent it sounded."

"Aw, don't be like that!" Neptune says. "Being a winning whiner isn't a good first impression for our guest. Wouldn't you agree, oh Lonely Heart of Black?"

"Will you stop calling me that?!" She takes a breath to regain her composure, then stands up and looks towards me. "Well, since we _do_ have a guest, allow me to introduce myself. I am Noire, CPU of Lastation." She talks confidently. A little pompous, really.

The other black-haired girl waves from behind Noire. "I'm Uni," she says, as Noire sits back down. "Lastation's CPU Candidate. You're Frost, right? It's nice to meet you!"

"Thank you," I say, but it might've been too quiet for her to hear.

"And while we're at it…" the blonde girl begins, bring my attention over to her. "My name is Vert. CPU of Leanbox. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Nice to meet you, too," I say.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, what exactly are we here for?" Blanc asks.

"Oh, hi there everyone!"

I recognize the voice as Nepgear's. I turn in it's direction and see her, but she looks different. Her hair is messy and unkempt, her clothes looks to have some small stains on them, and her eyes look tired. Kind of like Blanc this morning, but _way_ worse. She's holding a cup of most likely coffee, since she was able to greet us with such enthusiasm.

"Whoa, Nepgear!" Uni says. "What happened to you?!"

"I've just, uh… Been busy, you know?" Nepgear responds, taking another sip of coffee.

"Not to be rude, but you don't look very healthy," Vert says, concerned.

"I'll take a nap after we're done today," Nepgear says, yawning.

"A _nap_?!" Neptune echoes. "No no no. You're going straight to bed once everyone leaves, Nep Jr.! Didn't you already promise me that?"

"I-I know, but…" Nepgear takes a deep breath. "Well, let's not waste any time. Noire, Vert, Blanc, come with me, please."

"Hey, what about me?" Uni asks, standing up.

"I'm sorry, Uni, but… I think it'd be better if I tell these three first. Noire can explain everything to you later."

Uni slumps back down. "Fine…"

"Oh, slap that pouty face off your looker!" Neptune says. "Nep Jr. already ran everything by me, so I'll hang out with you, the twins and new challenger: Frosty!"

Rom and Ram both cheer. Blanc pulls me aside. "Like I said, they're all nice."

"Yeah, I get it," I say. "Good luck with…whatever you're doing."

She smiles as we part ways.

* * *

{Blanc}

Nepgear leads us towards her workshop at the back of the Basilicom. When we enter, we're greeted with the smell of coffee and the sight of various electronics all over the place. It's not my first time in here, and I've _never_ seen it this disorganized.

Nepgear closes the door behind us as we all sit at the only clear table in the room. She then goes over to the console, presses a few buttons, takes another sip of coffee, and the monitor comes to life, showing several graphs, numbers, and other things that I honestly don't understand.

"So, uh…" Nepgear mutters. "Where should I start…?"

"Well, let's start with the important info," Noire says. "What kinds of 'problem' is this? How much of a threat is it?"

"I'm not sure that 'threat' is the right word for it…" Nepgear says. "It's sort of an anomaly. A distortion. Something that shouldn't really be here, but it still is… Sort of…"

"If I may wager a guess…" Vert says. "I'd assume this has something to do with the anomaly we met earlier, yes?"

_Frost…?_ I turn to Nepgear, who nods her head. "I'm always monitoring Gamindustri in the case of any large surges of power or distortions in reality. A little over a week ago, I started to get some of the latter. It was like a wave washed over all of Gamindustri, but it wasn't enough that anyone would notice. Sort of like a really low magnitude earthquake. No one would've naturally felt it, but my instruments were able to pick it up."

"Wait, wait…" I say. "You're saying that _Frost_ caused this distortion?"

"Well, I can't say anything definitive, but…" She presses a button on the console. "Watch the wave closely."

It looked like a simple map of Gamindustri, but suddenly, a ring of light pulses across it. It repeats a few times, and unfortunately, I notice what she means. The origin of wave is, very clearly, Lowee.

"Blanc, how long had you known about Frost before I met him?" Nepgear asks.

"Just the day before," I say. "Though according to the guards, he'd been seen near the Basilicom two days before that."

"That would line up perfectly with the date of the first wave," Nepgear says.

"W-Well, no one felt the effects, right?" I ask. "Did this wave of distortion pose any sort of threat to us?"

"As far as I can tell, no," Nepgear says. "Still, even if they aren't a threat yet, there's a small chance that they could be in the future."

"Wait…" Noire says. "Did you say 'they'?"

"Yes…" Nepgear confirms. "There's been one every morning since the first."

"So, what are we to do?" Vert asks. "Even if the effects are not so great as to allow us to sense them, they must be doing _something_, yes?"

"Uh…" Nepgear plays with her hair and chews her lip. "Well, like I said, it's not anything big. It's kind of weird to describe…"

Nepgear presses another button and the wave of light pulses across the map again. However, this time, a static-like effect has been added, which covers the map for a few seconds after the pulse, before disappearing, and returning again when the pulse does.

"There's some minor, residual distortion left behind after the initial wave," Nepgear explains. "However, it seems to disappear all at once, every night."

"Then it comes right back the next morning…" Noire says.

"The strangest part of it all is one of my more recent discoveries," Nepgear says. "The way the distortion was moving and pulsating didn't seem random. So, after a lot of research, I've discovered that, for some reason, the distortion mimics the electromagnetic waves of the brain during sleep. Specifically, when someone is dreaming."

Everyone is silent for awhile. "And that means…?" I finally ask.

"Well, actually, I have no idea," Nepgear admits. "It might just be a coincidence for all we know." She takes another sip of her coffee. "To be honest, a lot of my discoveries don't matter that much. In the end, all that matters is that we keep an eye on Frost, since it's all but confirmed that he's the source of this distortion."

"Well, I'm already doing that," I say. "Really, aside from his not knowing anything when I found him, he's pretty much just a regular guy."

"I certainly didn't sense any great power or malice from him," Vert says. "Though I will admit that his eyes were a bit unsettling when I first saw them."

"I actually tried asking him about that," I say. "He said that they've always been that way, ever since he was born."

Vert laughs softly. "Well, I suppose it can't be helped, then."

"You're just gonna take his word for it?" Noire asks.

"He hasn't given me any reason not to believe him," I say.

"So, you trust him?"

I want to say, '_Yes, of course!'_ but I don't. How could I? He still hasn't given me so much as a hint as to where he came from. I stay silent, failing to think of a response. Noire sighs. "I say that we bring him back here and interrogate him," she suggests.

"Hey, that isn't necessary!" I say.

"We don't know anything about him!" Noire says back. "He could be dangerous!"

"Then why hasn't he done anything yet?" My voice gets louder. "We don't need to drag him into any of this!"

"Yes, we do!" Noire yells.

"Hey, cut it out!" Nepgear says, seemingly much more awake now.

She rushes over and puts a hand on Noire's shoulder, pulling her away. At the same time, I feel a gloved hand touch my shoulder, then glance back to see that it belongs to Vert. The look she gives me is equal parts disappointment and anger. She doesn't even need to say anything.

I look back towards Noire. "Why did you get so defensive?" she asks.

"Why did you get so aggressive?" I fire back.

"It's not good to be so selfish, Blanc," Vert says. "You've been with him for awhile, so I imagine that your judgement would be better than ours, in regards to Frost as a person." Her tone then loses some of it's gentleness. "However, you're still a CPU. Not just for your nation, but for the good of Gamindustri as a whole. Besides, I know that if any of us were to defend a mysterious boy whom we know nothing about, I would expect you to be the first to express suspicion."

"Listen, Blanc…" Nepgear walks over to me. Vert backs away. "All I need is for him to stay here for a day or two. I won't hurt him. I'll just need to do some simple scans. Nothing extensive."

Honestly, I can barely hear them right now. I'm not angry with them. I'm angry with myself. _I don't even know him. I shouldn't be growing attached to some anomaly._ I bite down on my lip. _Just say that it's fine. Just let them interrogate him. Hell, why don't you just kill him? He could be some otherworldly monster for all we know. He hasn't said much about family outside of a little sister he doesn't even like. No one would care if he just-_

"Hey, Blanc?" I hear Noire say. Her voice is full of worry.

"Huh? What is it?" I almost jump when I hear the sound of my own voice. Without meaning to, I've gone HDD. I look at myself for a moment, scared. _Why did I even…?_

I revert back to my normal form and take several long, deep breaths. It helps to get my anger under control, but the fact that the other three are staring still makes me feel stupid and embarrassed.

"I'm sorry…" I say. "Nepgear, you can do whatever you think is necessary. Noire, you're right. I didn't want to make him talk because it seemed to make him uncomfortable, but… I can't deny that it's necessary. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing!" Noire shouts. Her arms are crossed and she's not looking at anyone directly. Her face is a bit red. _Why does she look even more embarrassed than me?_ "I'm sorry, too. I was maybe being just a little insensitive, I admit. I guess knowing his past isn't that important, so long as Nepgear's tests don't show anything dangerous."

It seems that we've come to an agreement, but the tension in the room is still thick. Nepgear attempts to take another sip of coffee, but the looks of disappointment on her face makes me guess that it's empty. Then, Vert clears her throat and claps her hand, bringing our attention over to her and shattering the tension.

"Why don't we continue this over some tea?"

* * *

[Frost]

"And so…" Nepgear begins after we've finished. "Frost, I'd like for you to stay here in Planeptune for awhile. Just long enough to make sure that, whatever's up with you, it isn't a problem. Okay?"

_Yeah, I thought they'd still be suspicious of me. _"Okay," I reply.

"What, really?" Neptune says. "Well, aren't you easy to convince."

"I don't really see the point in arguing. It won't take too long, will it?"

"No more than, say…three days?" Nepgear estimates.

"Does that include a day for you to recover?" Uni asks.

"I-I'm doing just fine!" Nepgear says. "You don't need to worry about me, Noire."

"That was Uni…" Noire says.

"Oh…" Nepgear looks between the two of them, blinking, sipping her coffee. "M-Maybe I could use a day off…"

"I'm fine with staying here for as long as I need to," I say. "There's enough room for me, right?"

"Oh, we have plenty of that!" Neptune says. "I'll be sure that your time here is all well and comfortable, Frosty. You wouldn't happen to be a fan of pudding, would you?"

"Not particularly…"

"Oh." Neptune narrows her eyes. "Maybe we won't get along after all."

"Don't be petty," Blanc says. "Anyway, Frost. Are you sure you'll be good to stay here? If you don't want to, I'm sure we can find a compromise." She glances at Noire as she says it. Noire glares back. _How exactly did that conversation go…?_

"Actually, I kind of want to stay," I say. "It'll be a nice change of scenery."

"Sounds good to me!" Neptune says.

"Wait!" Blanc says. "Um… You don't need anything from back in Lowee, do you?"

"No, I think I'll be fine," I say. "Just finished a book right before we left. I think I could use a break from them for a little while."

"If you say so…"

Everyone says goodbye as we all part ways. "Alrighty, then!" Neptune begins. "I'll show you to your room. Nepgear, go get some sleep."


	4. Chapter 4

[Frost]

I wake up feeling stiff and cold. I hear the faint humming of machinery, and when I open my eyes, I'm momentarily blinded by several lights. As I sit up, I realize that I'm in Nepgear's workshop, laying on what almost looks like an operating table. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable at that thought, I slide off of it.

Nepgear is sitting in a chair at the console, fast asleep. She spent basically the entirety of my first day here asleep, but after that, she went right back to monitoring me. _Neptune probably confiscated her coffee, so she couldn't stay up all night. If I remember right, she actually fell asleep before I did._ I quietly walk out of the workshop.

This is my third morning waking up in the Planeptune Basilicom, so I've gotten pretty used to the layout. Structurally, it's not so different from Lowee's. The futuristic aesthetic makes everything a lot brighter, though.

Even though, according to the clock, I actually slept a bit longer than usual, I'm still up before either of the sisters. Or at least, that's what I thought, before I enter the lounge and see Neptune already at a table, playing on some handheld.

"Come on, come on, come on…!" she mutters to herself. I hear what sounds like an explosion sound effect as a look of absolute heartbreak appears in Neptune's eyes. "No! That's the closest I've ever gotten to beating that level!"

"Good morning," I say.

"Ah! Good morning to you as well, Frosty," Neptune replies. "Hey, where's Nep Jr.?"

"Asleep in her workshop."

"Oh yeah, didn't she drag you in there last night? Say, how have those examinations been going anyway?"

"Well, when she woke up the day after that big meeting, she took some DNA samples. Hair, blood, spit… You know." I walk past her and grab some various fruits for breakfast.

"She's always been more of a mechanic than a scientist," Neptune says. "Guess it's nice to step out of your comfort zone every once in awhile." She gets up and walks over the fridge. We passed by each other as I take my food to the table. "Speaking of comfort zones, do you eat anything other than fruit, Frosty?"

"I don't know. Do you eat anything other than pudding?"

As soon as she closes the fridge, I see her holding a cup of it. She laughs and scratches the back of her head. "Oh, looks like I walked right into that one."

Then we hear footsteps and turn to see Nepgear coming in through the doorway. She yawns, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before she notices us and jumps back in surprise.

"Oh! Good morning you two," she says.

"Morning Nep Jr.!" Neptune says back. "Glad you could join us. It's always better when you have the full party together, right?" She leans forward and slides Nepgear some pudding as she sits beside her. "So, what did you two do yesterday?"

"Well, the day before was examining DNA samples," Nepgear recounts, taking a spoonful of pudding. "Yesterday was a physical examination. Things like sight, reflexes, and just Frost's body in general. A medical book I borrowed from Compa came in handy for that."

"Examining his body, huh…?" Neptune says. "So, is that why the door was locked last night when I wanted to come check on you two?"

"W-Well, yes…" Nepgear says. "It was…something I didn't want anyone interrupting."

Neptune laughs to herself and continues enjoying her pudding instead of pressing any further questions. Nepgear blushes before she starts eating as well. Indeed, last night did involve a 'full body examination'. Nepgear had her eyes closed the entire time, so I doubt she got much out of that, aside from forming some awkward tension between us.

"So, Nep Jr.," Neptune begins as we near the end of breakfast. "What've you learned so far about our mysterious guest?"

"Yeah," I say. "Have enough data to say anything yet?"

"Well, I've run most of the tests I need to," Nepgear says. "As far as I can tell… Frost is just a regular person. Maybe a little scrawny for his age, but otherwise, totally normal."

"Scrawny…?" I echo idly.

Nepgear giggles. "Hey, it's a good thing! W-Well, mostly… Anyway, it means that there's nothing particularly abnormal about you. At least not physically."

"I guess that's good to hear," I say, leaning back in my chair. "So, do you think I can go back to Lowee soon?"

"Hopefully," Nepgear says. "Sorry, but I still want to make absolutely certain."

"I understand. Take as long as you need, but… Please don't slack off."

"I know…"

"And don't push yourself too hard, either!" Neptune adds.

"I know!" Nepgear laughs, likely appreciating the concern.

The rest of our breakfast passes by rather peacefully. However, once it's all over, Nepgear heads right back to her workshop. After that, I get up and start idly walking through the Basilicom, leaving Neptune to finish her breakfast on her own. _If all goes well, I might be able to leave today. I hope Blanc and the twins are doing well…_

"And why are _you_ looking so sad?" I hear Neptune say from behind me.

"I wouldn't say I'm _sad_ necessarily," I reply. "Does it really look like that?"

"You're staring at the ground," she begins. "You don't talk much, either. We were playing a game yesterday and you didn't emote much. You've kinda been falling more into the emo archetype since coming here, you know?"

"Don't worry about it," I say. "I'm fine."

"Really…?" Neptune asks. "Listen here, Frosty. Do you mind if I be blunt with ya?"

"No. Go ahead."

She sighs loudly. "Well, I pride myself on being able to keep my citizens happy. So, if I gotta be honest… It's making me a little upset to see how upset you've been getting. Get me?"

I glance back at her. She's still smiling, but are eyes are…almost pained. "Hey, you don't need to worry about me," I say.

"Yeah, you say that, but… I sorta feel responsible for you. I mean, you're staying in _my_ Basilicom. Seeing you all mopey like that makes me think that I haven't really been doin' too good a job of making my guest comfortable, you know?"

"Well, I might not do the best job of showing it, but I haven't had a problem. It's been fun to hang out with you, and this nation is definitely interesting. It's really different from Lowee, though."

"Ah, ha!" Neptune points her finger at me. "I think I've figured it out!"

"Figured…what out?"

"You miss Lowee, don't you?"

"Well, yeah… I guess I do."

Neptune laughs. For a little bit there, she almost looked depressed. However, I don't see a hint of it left anymore. "You know, I thought you hated the cold. Kinda ironic considering your name, but I guess you didn't realize how much you missed that old place till it was gone!" She winks at me. "I'm sure Nep Jr. will let you go soon enough."

"Hopefully…"

Really, I think it's less that I miss Lowee, and more that I miss Blanc. It's been weird not seeing her the past few days. _I could use a new book, too._ Really, I just wish Nepgear could hurry up. _Blanc's been fine, right? Well, duh. She's a Goddess. Not like she'd get sick or something like that. Why am I even worrying?_

"Hey Frosty?" I hear Neptune say again. "Gonna stop staring so hard at the floor?"

"S-Sorry," I say. "I'm going for a walk."

And so, on a walk through Planeptune I go. All the while trying, and failing, to get Blanc out of my head. _Please, just let me see her soon…_

* * *

{Blanc}

Right now, I'm working on my novel. In fact, that's about all I've done for the past few days. No reading, gaming, or watching TV. My head's been a total mess lately. I haven't been able to think straight at all. The only time I can ever seem to keep my thoughts consistent is when I'm writing. Thankfully, I've been able to make a ton of progress because of this. I'm pretty happy with most of my work, too.

After I finish writing an intense action scene, I lean back and stretch in my chair. As I do so, I gaze out the window. Along with the snow, I notice that the sun is getting close to being in just the perfect position to put an annoying glare on my screen. _Closing the blinds makes it too dark. Using a lamp would make the light uneven and unnatural, so it'd be hard to focus. Still, I just won't be able to see anything with the glare…_ I sigh loudly as I shut down the computer, deciding to try and find something else to do for the time being.

I check Rom and Ram's room, but they aren't there. I do a quick sweep of their drawing papers to make sure nothing important is in there before I head outside. The snow is coming down in fairly large flakes, but there's no wind, so it actually feels a lot nicer than usual.

It doesn't take me long to find Rom and Ram, playing in the snow at a small park near the Basilicom. They've made a few piles and are currently working on a pair of snowmen.

"Good morning, you two," I say, walking over to them.

"Morning?" Rom echoes, turning away from her project. "We just ate lunch…"

"…Oh…"

"Jeez, it's about time you came out of your room!" Ram says, running over to me.

I laugh softly. "Yeah, I guess so." She wraps her arms around me as Rom slowly trails behind. "Sorry I've been so out of it lately."

"You should play with us more!" Ram says.

"I know. Why don't I help you two with what you're doing right now?"

Ram squeals with excitement as she rushes back to the unfinished snowmen. Rom walks closely to my side. _Is something wrong with her? She's usually pretty quiet, but…_ I decide not to bother her. At least, not yet. So, the three of us begin work on the snowmen, and before long, they're completed.

"I'm gonna go get stuff to put on them!" Ram says, running back towards the Basilicom.

I lean back against an old swing set, gently lowering myself onto the ground. The cold of the snow against my legs feels nice. The snow is still falling, and the sharp kisses the flakes give my face are enough to keep me alert, when otherwise, I might've spaced out again.

"Blanc…?" Rom says, standing before me.

"Yes?" I move away the snow next to me, and she sits down.

"Are you okay?"

_I've really been making them worry…? _"I'm fine," I say, moving aside Rom's hat to pat her head. "You don't have to worry."

"Are you sure?" Rom continues. "You've barely come out of your room. You've felt different since Mr. Frost left…"

_Since Frost left…_ "Yeah…" I stand back up and help Rom to stand as well. "Maybe I was just starting to get a little too used to him being here."

"Will he be back soon?"

"I…don't know. If Nepgear's estimation was right, he should be back tomorrow." It's possible he could return today, but I don't want to get her hopes up. _Maybe I don't want to get _my _hopes up… Nepgear couldn't have found anything weird, right? He'll come back and everything will be back to normal. …Right?_

"H-Hey, Blanc?"

I turn around to Rom's worried look. Ram, meanwhile, just looks annoyed, as she sets down the basket full of old clothes and other accessories for the snowmen.

"Sorry," I say, scratching the back of my head. "I spaced out again, didn't I?"

Ram narrows her eyes at me. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"Hey, who's the big sister here?" I ask. "You two don't need to start worrying about me until I'm some old lady."

"But, we don't age or grow…" Rom says.

_You had to remind me._ I instinctively glance down at my chest before shaking my head. "C'mon now, you two. Let's finish these guys," I say, motioning towards the snowmen.

"Yay!" Rom and Ram say in unison.

We work on the snowmen for a few minutes, but then the wind starts to pick up and we decide to head back inside. _Hope they're still standing in the morning._ We find some pocky to snack on as they draw and I'm tasked with judging their work. I consider going back to work on my book, but decide that I should take a break for the rest of the day. _If I work any more on it, I'll start thinking about Frost again… DAMMIT, STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM!_

"Hey, Blanc!" Ram suddenly shouts. "Whaddaya think of this?"

She runs up to me with her drawing. _Good. A distraction._

* * *

[Frost]

Today was spent walking through Planeptune for no reason in particular. _I really need a hobby or something…_ Now, I've returned to the Basilicom, where I find Neptune playing a game in the lounge.

"Oh, don't you think I haven't figured out your pattern!" she says. "This no-hit run won't be ending here- AH!" Her scream is followed by a violent sound effect, to which she drops her head on the table, emitting a low whine. _She seems busy._

I avoid the lounge and decide instead to check in on Nepgear, who I can only assume is in her workshop. When I reach it, I see that the door is slightly ajar, and judging by the noise, she's definitely in there. I walk up to it and prepare to gently push it open.

"Th-This can't be right…" I hear her say. I hesitate, waiting just outside the door. "I mean, how is this possible? I've never seen anything like it before." _Does this have something to do with…?_ "Another dimension, probably, but… Every single night? Is he doing it intentionally? But, why?!" …_No…_ "There's no mistaking it…" I hear her type on her console. As carefully and quietly as I possibly can, sure not to touch the door, I put my head through the gap.

The monitor shows a digital clock and what seems like a heart rate being measured. Next to that is what looks like camera footage of last night, when both of us fell asleep in here. Nepgear looks to already be asleep, at that time. I'm about to fall asleep. _Dammit, NO!_ Suddenly, the heart rate flat lines. Nepgear skips ahead in the recording. The time shown is about when I woke. The moment before I start to move in the footage, the heart rate returns to normal.

"Mine was monitored without a problem…" Nepgear says. "How could this be-"

I enter the room, opening the door then shutting it behind me. Nepgear jumps as she turns around. "Hey, Nepgear," I say, possibly trying too hard to sound friendly. "Sorry, are you busy?"

"Um, well, no, not really," she says, flustered.

I can see the worry in her eyes. I walk towards her and she backs up against the console, cornered. "Should've expected this place to be full of sensors," I mutter. "What have you figured out, then?"

"F-Frost… What does this-"

"Shut up." Her eyes widen when I say it. She doesn't say another word. "I haven't done anything to hurt anyone, have I? I'm not affecting the world in any grand way be being here, right? This isn't something you need to understand. _Stop._"

She looks at me with scared eyes. I didn't want to be so aggressive, but I can't let her do this. _She can't tell Blanc. She can't tell anyone. I won't let her._ I step away from her. "I'm going back to Lowee tomorrow. Got it?"

Nepgear doesn't look at me directly. She keeps glancing behind her. "Okay," she finally says. "But… I can't just ignore this. I have to understand it, Frost." A spark of resolve shines in her eyes, distorting the fear. "If you would just tell me now, we wouldn't have to waste anymore time. With your reaction, you obviously know what's going on."

I turn away from her. _Just be quiet. Please._ "I'm…tired," I say, walking towards the door. "Could I leave for Lowee early morning?"

"Ask Neptune. I'll…be busy."

I don't even turn around to glare at her. I just step through the door and shut it behind me. _Why is this happening? No one was supposed to find out._ Eventually, not really paying attention to where my legs were taking me, I end up back at the lounge. Luckily, Neptune is still there. Though, it looks like she's given up on her game, consumed instead by her consumption of pudding.

"Hey, Nep?" I begin, catching her attention. "Nepgear's given me approval to leave tomorrow. Think we can organize that?"

She looks back at me, her spoon still in her mouth. Then she narrows her eyes as she slowly removes the spoon and swallows. "Say that again…" she orders, slowly.

_Uh… What?_ "Nepgear said I can leave," I say. "So, I wanted to check with-"

"No, no, no," Neptune interrupts. "Before that. The first thing you said."

It takes me second to remember. _Did I say something weird?_ "Hey, Nep?" I repeat.

"Ah, there it is!" she exclaims. "That's the first time you've called me that! You always go the full 'Neptune', instead of a simple shortening. Sure, I admire your ability to actually pronounce it correctly, but you were always feeling so stiff!"

"So… Do you want me to keep calling you Nep, or…?" I ask.

"Of course!" she replies. "Maybe I had nothing to worry about after all. Guess I did loosen you up a little. I do admire my skilled, subtle touch."

I hadn't realized that I was acting any different, but the more I think about it, the more I realize. _Nepgear's smart… She'll probably figure out everything about me. When that happens, she's sure to tell everyone._ I know that I can't keep acting like I always do. _If anything happens… If I can't come back…_ At the very least, I know that I can't keep wasting time.

"So, can I head out tomorrow or not?" I ask.

"That shouldn't be no problem, Frosty!" Nep replies. "We should probably leave early, so don't go sleeping in now."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that."

And so, we part ways. On my way back to my own room, I pass by Nepgear's. The door is open just a crack and I can see her watching me. I don't bother saying anything more to her. I just head back to my room, and when I get there, it takes a significant amount of effort to keep myself from slamming the door.

_She'll say something eventually, and really, I can't do anything to stop her._ I bite down hard on my lip. _I can't keep wasting time._

* * *

{Blanc}

I received a message from Nepgear late last night, saying that Frost would be coming back tomorrow. Apparently, she couldn't find anything particularly unusual about him. It put me in a pretty good mood for this morning, as I wait in the lobby reading.

I still haven't gotten over this weird feeling I've had since Frost left. To be honest, I was a little worried it might've been love or something, but I know that's not it. It's like… Emptiness. Anxiety. Yet, I don't really feel _affection_ of any kind. _He _is_ still pretty ignorant. Maybe I'm just worried he'll get into trouble._ Though, that doesn't make much sense either. He's well-behaved, quiet, seemingly pretty respectful… Even if he is still hiding some stuff, I can at least hope that it's nothing of major importance.

I suddenly her something and head outside. As I open the door, I see Neptune in HDD, carrying Frost, who seems to be freaking out just a little. As I step out and get closer, Neptune lets Frost go just above the ground.

"Do you people have no other ways of traveling?!" he shouts.

"Well, this is the quickest and most convenient for us," Neptune replies. "I suppose we aren't quite used to traveling with anyone other than CPUs."

"Do you really not have any friends who don't fly?"

"Hmm… I'm sure I do, but I can't quite seem to remember them…"

As I get closer, they finally notice me. "Good to see you two again," I say.

Neptune reverts back to normal. "Heya, Blanc!" she says, energetic as always.

"I was starting to miss you," Frost says.

I laugh under my breath. "Yeah, I sort of missed you-"

Suddenly, I'm caught off guard. Out of nowhere, Frost hugs me. A moment later, he releases me. It was brief and he didn't squeeze tight, but it still threw me off a little. _I'd never expect that out of him…_ Though, he wasn't quite as warm as I was expecting.

"You look like you've been well," Frost continues. "The twins been good, too?"

"Yes, we've all been just fine," I reply.

"That's nice." Frost takes a step and nearly falls over, but manages to catch himself. "Nep's a much worse flier than you… I think I'll go sit down…"

He stumbles away from us and into the Basilicom. I turn to Neptune, whose hands are behind her head as she hums happily. "Any-whose, I should probably get going," she says.

"Actually, wait," I say.

"Hmm?" Neptune looks at me.

_How should I ask this…?_ "Just curious… Did Nepgear really not find anything weird with Frost? Nothing abnormal at all?"

"Hmm… Not a clue!" Neptune says, a little too happily.

"…What?"

"Well, she hasn't told me anything, aside from him being pretty much just a regular old dude physically. A little weaker than normal, actually, but he certainly ain't unhealthy!"

"Nothing about his eyes…? Where he came from?"

Neptune just shakes her head. I bite the nail on my thumb. _Why is this bothering me so much? All Nepgear said was, "Frost is coming back tomorrow," and nothing else. Not to mention, there's also…_

"Hey, Neptune?" I begin.

"Ears open!"

"Has Frost been acting differently?"

"Hmm…" She puts a hand on her chin and closes her eyes. "Well, I'd like to think that a bit of my carefree, relaxed attitude rubbed off on him!" She puts her hands on her hips proudly. "Though, you've spent a lot more time with him. I'm sure you're a better judge than I in all matters regarding our freaky Frosty friend."

"Hmm…" _Maybe I'm thinking about this too hard. Maybe he's just happier, now that no one's suspicious of him…_ I laugh softly. _Ironic._ "Well, I'll see you later, Neptune."

"And you I!"

She turns away from me and transforms yet again. However, as I turn and start to walk away, I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I look and see that Neptune has caught up with me. _I hate the form of hers… Flaunting those things around…_

"Blanc? It's a bit rude to stare," Neptune says.

I pull my eyes off her chest. "Ugh… What is it?"

"About Frosty and Nep Jr.… I don't know about anything that happened in Nep Jr.'s workshop, but just before leaving, she approached me seeming quite flustered."

The way she speaks really is so different in this form. _That fact that she's only bringing this up now, after transforming. This must be serious._ "And she said…?" I urge.

"She said that she would contact you soon. After that, she went straight back to her workshop…" Neptune looks down. I imagine that the people of Gamindustri always look at us Goddesses as powerful beings, unshackled by human issues, like illness, age, or emotion. It's why we never let the common people see our human sides. But right now, something about Neptune's – or rather, Purple Heart's – eyes seems strange. "I certainly hope that nothing is wrong with her, or Frosty for that matter." Then she smiles, and the more regal, confident air of a Goddess returns to her. "Well, I'd best be going. Say hello to the twins for me!" She then flies off, getting a bit of snow on me in her wake.

_I'll be sure to look out for th__ose__ messages, Nepgear…_ I head back into the Basilicom, dusting myself off. Then I witness a bizarre scene.

Rom and Ram are both sitting on a couch by the entrance, holding each other close. Frost is standing in front of them. He raises an arm, and with a disturbingly wild look in his unsettling white eyes, he knocks away both of their hats in a single, backhanded stroke. Then both flinch. _What the hell is he doing?!_ He reach towards them with both of his hands. I run towards him, but just before I can reach him…

He gently pats each of their heads. "I missed the both of you, as well," Frost says.

Rom giggles. "That feels good…"

All three of them smile kindly, until Ram notices me and waves. Then Frost notices and stands up. He picks up both of their hats and returns them before walking over to me. "Hey, Blanc, are you busy right now?" he asks.

"Huh?" I say, not able to think. "Oh, um… No, not necessarily."

"You think we could go for a walk?"

"A…walk? Like, through the city?" He nods. "Well…" Once again, something I wasn't expecting. "Didn't you say you needed to sit down?"

"I did, but then the nausea hit me even harder…" He swallows, as if he was about to vomit just at the through of his trip here. "Besides, it's not too cold out today."

"W-Well…" I just sigh. "If you insist. Rom, Ram, do either of you want to come?"

"Nah, I wanna stay here!" Ram says.

"We have drawings to finish!" Rom adds.

I sigh. _This still feels weird. I would've liked for all of us to stay together, but I guess it can't be helped…_ "Okay then. You ready, Frost?"

"Of course," he replies.

And so, despite my confusion and sudden desire to just sit down, the two of us head out into Lowee.

* * *

[Frost]

_Does everything…look different?_ I felt that it started almost the moment Nepgear came upon the verge of learning about me, but back then, I thought it was just in my head. Now I'm not so sure… Sort of. It feels like there are fewer people. Or like…the people aren't as noticeable. Like they've faded away. I consider asking Blanc what happened, but decide against it. Mostly because she doesn't seem to be reacting to it. _This is her nation. If something's wrong with it, she would've let me know already, especially since we're actually here. If this just happened, then there's no way she'd not comment on it._

"I wouldn't expect you to want to do something like this," Blanc says.

_Her tone is natural, too._ "Well, I can't stay inside _all _the time," I say. "Besides, we don't get days this warm very often, do we?"

"Hmm… I suppose."

"So, has anything changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know… You, the twins, Lowee itself. Anything big happen that I missed?"

"No, not really."

_Well, that pretty much confirms it._ The two of us walk through the nation, mostly in silence, with the occasional comment, though we never really start up another proper conversation. I groan quietly to myself. _What's wrong with you? Just say something to her!_ Suddenly, I hear a small giggle come from behind me. I turn to see that Blanc has stopped walking.

We're on a stone path, and next to it, in the direction Blanc is looking, is an area with trees and various stone statues and monuments. The path turns into steps at a certain point, and I don't notice Blanc had stopped until I'm already a few steps down.

When I look up at her, she looks so different. Her casual, distant gaze off to the side, the gentle breeze that moves her hair, coat, and skirt ever so slightly, and the way the sun casts shadows across her, hiding parts of her face, only to emphasize her eyes and small smile. …_I really should just hurry up and say something to her already…_

A few people are walking around the fairly large area, but Blanc seem to be looking in the direction of one in particular. To me, none of them seem particularly interesting, so I can't tell why she's watching them. As I walk back up the stairs and reach her level, she still doesn't notice me.

"Blanc?"

Her eyes shift towards me, and she seems to go right back to normal. "Hmm? Oh, sorry about that…"

"Something wrong, or…?"

"No, not really. Just a habit, I guess…"

"A habit?"

Her eyes narrow. "You ask a lot more questions now, don't you?" I simply shrug. She sighs, but then laughs. "That girl was praying. As the Goddess of this nation, I can sense whenever someone is thinking about me. When they're praying and I'm near them, those feelings get a lot stronger. It's just nice to know that my people support me…"

"Well, I don't see why they wouldn't." We start walking again.

"You think I'm that good?"

"Do you?"

She groans. "Saying stuff like that makes me feel narcissistic."

"I would never have expected a Goddess to be so humble."

"W-Well… I don't know if I'd really call myself humble…"

"We're reaching humbleness levels that shouldn't even be possible."

"Oh, shut up."

We laugh as we continue walking. Since I barely register the other people around us, it feels almost like we're all alone. Like we're the only people in the nation. In the world. _So, this is what it feels like to enjoy someone else company? Its nice, actually…_ We don't get much farther before the snow starts to fall and the wind picks up. We start to head back to the Basilicom. _And it ends before I can get tired of it. Perfect._

The weather gets worse as we go. "Damn, I should've watched the forecast today," Blanc says. "I wasn't expecting a blizzard to start out of nowhere like this. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I say.

Then, she slows down until we stop, protected from the wind and snow by a small building. The weather seems to keep getting worse and worse, but I barely notice it. Blanc is looking at me with a strange expression.

"Frost, are you…not cold?" she asks.

"What?" I say automatically.

Then I realize. I _don't_ feel cold. At least, not as cold as I should be in this weather. The wind stings a bit, but it's easy to ignore. Meanwhile, Blanc, the native to this nation, is shivering violently, even when partially protected by the building.

"Well, of course I am!" I say, walking over to her. "Which is why we should hurry. C'mon, we should get back before it gets any worse."

I grab Blanc's wrist and pull her forward. However, when we leave the safety of the buildings shadow, the full force of the wind hits us. Even though I don't feel too cold, Blanc obviously does. Plus, the wind makes it hard to even move and visibility is low. We retreat back into the alleyway.

Then, hardly really thinking, I pull her closer. Trying to keep her at least a little warmer. However, we only keep our arms around each other for a few moments, before Blanc backs away from me. She backs up quickly and hits her head on the wall, before sliding down it and sitting on the ground. Her hat was knocked off and she clutches her head. It all happened so quickly that it took a moment for it to register.

"S-Sorry!" I say, both for suddenly pulling her closer and because I might've accidentally pushed her into the wall. "Are you okay?!"

"Y-Yeah, I'm f-fine…" Blanc says.

She lets go of her head and wraps her arms around her knees. She has a strange look in her eye. At first I worry it's embarrassment or anger at my stupidity. Though, I can't quite be sure. It a way, it looks more like fear. I can only assume she's shaken by such a sudden snowstorm.

I crouch down next to her, but she leans away from me for a moment, before returning to her original position. Her shivering is still violent. _Embracing her still sounds too awkward… _Instead, I take of my jacket and move to give it to her.

"F-Frost?!" Blanc says through chattering teeth. "A-Aren't you c-cold?"

I decide it's best to keep lying. "Duh, of course I am. But I'm more worried about you." I put it over the front of her, so she doesn't have to move. Most of her exposed skin is on her legs anyway. "Besides, it'd be kind of pathetic for a Goddess to get sick or something, right?"

"G-Goddesses d-don't get s-" She sneezes. "S-Sick…"

"Well, you are still mostly human, right?"

She nods, silent, clutching both her coat and my jacket tightly. I pick up her hat and place it back on her head, then sit down next to her. Though, I don't get too close, still feeling slightly awkward. _I wonder if I'll get the chance to experience a classic trope of the girl moving towards me of her own free will?_ We sit in silence for a few moments as the wind dies down to the point where it's nearly still again. Snow continues to fall.

"Finally…" Blanc says, standing up.

I sigh. _Oh well…_ "We should hurry," I say.

"Definitely. Oh, and…" She holds out my jacket.

"Thanks," I say, slipping it back on.

We both hurry back to the Basilicom, fearing another spontaneous blizzard. Blanc runs ahead of me, and I begin to feel highly inadequate as she speeds ahead while I stumble behind her out of breath. _I know I'm the one who said to hurry, but this is just unfair… What's gotten into her? I ruined everything, didn't I…? Idiot._

I almost wish I could feel the cold. It would distract me from my self-deprecating thoughts. Eventually, we reach the Basilicom. Blanc, of course, reached the door before me, but waits without opening it until I've caught up.

"You…really didn't need to go…that fast…" I say, out of breath.

"Y-Yeah, sorry about that…" Blanc replies.

I look up at her, and for a brief moment, that strange look is in her eyes. A shy, possibly fearful look. However, she turns her gaze away as she steps aside. "Open the door," she demands.

"What?"

"Just open it."

Despite how sudden and rude that was, she says it like she's back to her usual self. I comply and open the door, waiting for Blanc to enter. She just stands there. I roll my eyes and push the door a bit as I let go of it, so it doesn't close immediately.

Blanc grabs hold of the doorknob and closes it slowly behind her. Then she quickly passes me before stopping and tilting her head back.

"That was pretty nice, actually…" she says. "Before the snowstorm."

"Agreed," I reply. "Unfortunately, now I'm tired. I'm gonna go find something to read."

"I found another copy of the one you had unfinished before we left the other day," Blanc begins as we walk together. "You were pretty far in, right? I put it's sequel there with it."

"Well, aren't you sweet."

She glares at me, but I catch a small smile before she turns away. I consider stopping her and trying to find something for us to do together, but I decide against it. _I think we're both a bit tired, and the awkwardness hasn't vanished entirely._ I simply head back to my room, eager to continue my story.


	5. Chapter 5

{Blanc}

I wake up in my bed, but it doesn't feel like I slept at all. I roll around under the covers and try to fall back asleep, but I fail to find a good position. My sheets are a total mess by the time I hear a sudden knock on the door.

"_Not too early to wake you up, is it?_" Frost calls from the other side.

I straighten myself up a bit before making my way towards the door. I open it a crack and see Frost leaning against the opposing wall. When he sees me, he smiles kindly. _Has he ever smiled like that before?_

"Just give me a minute," I say. "I'll be out soon."

"Got it," Frost says. "Sorry to bother you."

"Oh, it's not a problem. It was actually a nice surprise. Is something going on that you had to wake me up for?"

"No, nothing in particular."

_Why does something feel off?_ I soon notice that, throughout this short conversation, Frost has kept eye contact with me. Normally, his eyes would drift off, scanning over whatever room we're in. To be honest, I was grateful for it, since I didn't have to look at his eyes. _Ugh, what is it about them? Why do they keep bothering me?!_

"Though, I was wondering…" Frost says, pulling me away from my thoughts. "Think we could go for a walk again today? I'm sure there's some stuff I haven't seen yet."

"Well… Maybe. I'll see how Rom and Ram are doing. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"'Course. See you in a bit."

Frost walks off and I close the door. I tidy up myself and my room, then head towards the lounge. When I get there, much to my surprise, I only find Frost. He stares out the window, until he notices me and starts to walk towards me.

"Where are Rom and Ram?" I ask. "Shouldn't they be eating breakfast?"

Frost looks at me with a slightly confused expression. "Did you look at a clock before coming down here?" I look towards the clock in the corner of the room and see that it's almost noon. I hear Frost quietly laugh to himself, as my shock must've been obvious on my face. "Yeah, we've already eaten. They'll be here soon for lunch, though."

I sit down and hold my chin in my hand. "Guess I shouldn't complain…" I say, mostly to myself. "It's my fault for staying up so late."

Frost sits down next to me. "Were you working on something?" he asks.

"Not really." That wasn't a lie. I spent a little time on my novel, but not nearly as much as I usually would. "It's just been hard to concentrate recently."

"Anything I could do to help?"

I tilt my head up a bit, realizing the opportunity that's been presented to me. "Well, if I could be a bit blunt…" I turn towards him. "Maybe it's just me, but…have you been acting different?"

He breaks eye contact. It's a subtle shift as he looks at the table instead of me, but I still notice it. "What do you mean?"

"Well… It's sort of hard to say exactly. I guess you seem more…"

"Lively?"

"Yeah, I guess that works."

He grins, and I hear a small laugh escape him. "It's sort of embarrassing to admit, but…" He returns eye contact with me. "I guess spending time in Planeptune had a few effects on me. For one, a bit of Neptune's attitude my have rubbed off on me, if only a little. But more so… I realized how much I like it here with you in Lowee."

"Huh?!" I respond without stopping myself. "S-Sorry, what was that?"

"I just realized how much I missed Lowee."

"Oh… Right."

Frost stands up. "Anyway, it's super cold out right now and I have a book to finish. Feel free to come bother me after-"

"Blanc!" Ram suddenly appears in the doorway, looking exaggeratedly angry. "How come you get to sleep in, but whenever we do, we get told off!"

"W-Well, that's, um…"

"Good luck," Frost adds as he walks out the door.

I glare at him, then sigh. I make a mental note to keep tabs on Frost for the next few days, as I try to prove my innocence to Rom and Ram. I creates a bitter taste in my mouth. _Just when I was starting to trust Frost, I'm suddenly suspicious of him all over again. Maybe I shouldn't worry…_

Then I get a message.

* * *

[Frost]

When I get back to my room, I lock the door, then smash my head against the desk. _I need to do something. Soon. I should've expected Blanc to pick up on a sudden shift in personality. Still, I can't just act like everything will work out if I don't take matters into my own hands. Get her on my side. Have her trust me. Fall in love with each other if we have to. So long as it deafens her before Nepgear figures everything out._

I lay on my bed and take deep breaths, trying to keep myself calm. _Still, I know I can't force this. We can't just suddenly understand each other. Actually, it might be worse if we did._ I bite down on my lip. It isn't long before I taste blood. _It's too late to turn to anyone else. Neptune would trust her sister over me without question, Noire is more suspicious of me than anyone else already, and I get the feeling that Vert is more perceptive than she lets on._ I close my eyes. _No, stop thinking like that. There's no point in staying here if it isn't with Blanc._

My thoughts swirl around in my mind, incomprehensible. _What do __I__ do…? What the _hell _do I do?!_ Another deep breath, then a realization strikes. _I…must've been sent here for a reason, right? This can't just be some coincidence. I'm supposed to be here. It's certainly better than…_ A shiver runs through my body.

_No. No. No!_ All of the information I tried to ignore comes back to me, so suddenly that I feel a sharp headache. _The food is losing its taste. The world is losing its color. Everything is fading. Or… I am._ I clutch my head.

_You'll disappear soon. For good._

_No, I don't know that for sure._

_You won't be able to come back. They won't want you here anyway._

_Blanc is still kind to me…_

_Because she doesn't know._

_Shut up._

_It's not that she'll hate you, either. She'll think you belong there. She'll say that you aren't supposed to be here. She'll think she's doing you a favor, all while perpetuating your suffering._

_No, I'm not leaving!_

_So, what then? You'll leave the Basilicom? Live somewhere else in this world? You've noticed, haven't you? It's starting to resemble something else, isn't it?_

_But…this world should be better._

_You're useless. You can't live on your own, and no one else will take you in. It's a miracle that Blanc didn't throw you back out, or just kill you. Nothing's gonna stop her from doing that whenever she wants. She's the Goddess here. You're the pathetic creature who isn't worthy of someone like her._

_But…why am I here?_

_Maybe reality is sick of you, and doesn't want to deal with you. Now you're ruining two worlds. Two families._

_SHUT UP!_

I smash my head on the desk, over and over, until a small crack appears and by forehead starts bleeding.

_Shut up… I hate going back there. I want to stay here. I want to be with Blanc. Rom and Ram._ I feel tired as I stumble towards the bed. _I don't want to leave… I want to stay here…_

Someone knocks on the door, but I don't notice it until it erupts into loud banging. The sound drowns out my thoughts. I wipe the blood off with my jacket sleeve and open the door. Blanc is standing there. She backs up when I open the door, then takes a deep breath.

"I thought I heard something up here," she begins. "Like a loud banging. Did you here it?"

"You mean, aside from what you were doing to the door?" I joke.

Her eyes narrow. I make sure my arm is behind my back. "So…nothing?"

"Well, yeah, I know what you're taking about. So damn loud I had to cover my ears, but I have no clue what it was."

"Well… Okay," Blanc says. "Oh, and, uh…" She looks away from me. "I… Um…" I wait patiently for almost a minute. "Nevermind," she eventually says. "Good night."

"You too," I reply, as she starts walking down the hall. "Don't stay up all night!" I call out.

"Yeah, yeah…" She replies, not turning around or stopping.

I close the door, and immediately grit my teeth. _The look in her eyes…_ I don't know how I know. At first, I assume it's just paranoia. Somehow, I know that isn't the case.

_She knows the truth._

* * *

{Blanc}

The moment lunch was over, I went to my room to contact Nepgear on my computer. The message she had sent me said to contact her as ASAP, but to make sure that no one else was around. It doesn't take long for her to answer and appear on the screen.

"Alright, so what's-" I begin.

"Frost is dead."

I stare at her. I heard her words clearly, but it takes several moments for their meaning to register in my mind. Even then, I'm still not sure if I heard her correctly.

"I-I'm sorry…?" I manage.

Nepgear looks down, seemingly reading over something. "I don't exactly have the most concrete proof, but…" She takes a deep breath, and moves her hair out of her face. "He fell asleep in my workshop while I had a few monitoring instruments active. The entire time he was asleep…not a single sign of life came from him. No heartbeat, no brainwaves, no breathing, nothing. Then he woke up, and he was completely fine."

"That… That's ridiculous…" I shake my head. "Wait, how can you be so sure?! The instruments could've been faulty, or… Besides, you're a mechanic, no a doctor!"

"They recorded my status just fine, and I was asleep in the same room," Nepgear replies calmly. "And, yeah, I'm not too experienced with medical stuff, but after running a few _hypothetical_ questions by Compa, and doing my own research…"

I've started to tune her out. _What the hell…? So what _is _he? A ghost? A zombie? That doesn't make any…sense…_ Then I started to remember.

"I touched his hand," I say without really meaning too.

"What?"

"It was freezing. No warmth whatsoever." My head suddenly feels like it's throbbing. "Come to think of it, anytime I'm near him, I never feel any warmth come from him. And…"

"There's more," Nepgear says. I stay silent. "I analyzed the distortion again, and… Okay, this is just a hypothesis, but… Well, it's sort of like a dimensional rift, like when we visited Ultradimension, or the Zero Dimension. Except it's way different at the same time. I still don't fully understand it, but…"

"Frost is from another dimension?"

"Well, it definitely seems so. The effect that occurred on the day he was first sighted by your Basilicom was much more similar to those. The effect that occurs every night when Frost falls asleep is…different. Weaker, in a way."

"…Wait."

"If I'm correct, then… Somehow, Frost is transported to another dimension, every time he falls asleep. He leaves his body here, and when he returns, it wakes up. By that logic… His body could also just be some sort of vessel. Not his real body."

"That…" I swallow, trying to take all of this in. "That would explain who cold he felt. And… I remember when we ate together the first few times. The look on his face… He was confused. He only eats really simple things now. Does he… Not have a sense of taste? Or, can he only taste certain things? I… Wait, when we went for a walk. That blizzard hit, and…he wasn't cold. He didn't act like he was cold at all, even though he had been complaining about it before then."

"Could he have been faking it?"

I think, making my head throb even harder. "I… No, I don't think so."

"Huh?"

"Maybe he's…losing himself. He suddenly started acting different when he came here."

"Oh…" Nepgear scratches the back of her head. "About that… Frost knows that I nearly found out about him."

"What?"

"He threatened me. Told me not to tell anyone. In other words… He knew where he had come from. At least, I think…"

_Was he… Was he really lying the entire time?_ I try to change the subject, mostly so I don't have to think about that. "Do you know anything about this dimension that Frost might be from?"

"No, sorry… All I know is that it must be drastically different from our own, or any other that we've visited or know about."

I stay silent for awhile. "W-Well…" I take another deep breath. "Okay… You say that he threatened you, but did we actually get violent?"

"No, not necessarily…"

_He doesn't seem like a liar, or even really a bad person… Of course, that didn't stop me from being suspicious not long ago…_ "I'll talk to him," I say. "Or at least try to…" I whisper.

"If he can really go back on his own, then he probably should…"

"Yeah. No arguing there. See you later."

"Bye."

I shut off the computer and lay on my bed, trying to collect my thoughts. _This shouldn't be difficult. Like I said when I first saw him… Hell, when I first _heard _about him, I told myself that I'd neutralize any potential threats to Lowee. Still, it just feels wrong… _I shake my head. _No, this is for him. He isn't supposed __to __be here, right? But if so, then why does he keep coming back? Maybe he just can't control his ability to travel between dimensions…_ Another thought sends a chill down my spine. _So every night, I basically have a dead body right next to my room…_

Then I hear a loud banging.

* * *

[Frost?]

I wake up, once again, to a world without color. My alarm is ringing, telling me to get up. So, get up I do. Remove covers. Stand up. Grab clothes. Take shower. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Grab school supplies. Walk to school.

The same it always is. The same it always will be. At least, that's what it feels like. _I just wish the process didn't feel so long._

"Hey!" I hear Mom's voice, and turn to look at her. "Please, ██████, could you at least say goodbye before you leave?"

"Goodbye," I say, before taking another step towards the door.

"W-Wait!" She calls out. I stop and turn. She walks towards me. Then she hugs me. After a few moments, she backs away. "Have a good day, okay?"

"Okay." Then I walk through the door.

In the driveway, Dad, about to leave for work. He has two water bottles in the front of his truck. He opens the window, and holds one out for me. "You forget this?" He asks.

"Yes," I reply. _No._ "Thank you." _But you would've brought me one anyway._ I take it and continue walking in the direction of the school.

"Have a good day!"

"Thank you."

I finish the water bottle before I reach school, and throw it in the same dumpster that I always pass by, always at the same time. My footsteps sound the same every morning, like they take the exact same path each and every day. Step in the exact same location at the exact same time every day. At least, that's what it feels like.

At school, it's the same classes as always. I try to listen to the lesson, but it feels like the words are bouncing off of me. "Does anyone know the answer to the question on the board?" The teacher asks. "Anyone? ██████, do you have an answer?"

I answer her question.

"Yes, that's correct!" she says. "Good work, ██████."

I soon move to another class.

"I have to say, I'm kind of disappointed in a lot of you," the teacher says. "To be honest, I thought a lot of your essays were a kind of lazy. Now, come on up and take them back. Try to put a little more effort in to the next one."

When I reach him and reach for my paper, he pulls it back. "You were one of the ones that did really good, ██████." He smiles as he hands the paper to me. "Keep up the good work."

I return to my seat and put it away.

Soon, lunch comes. The food is tasteless, and the incessant mumbling of everyone around grates on my ears. _Will they ever run out of things to talk about? For once, can everything just be silent?_ The rest of the day passes. It doesn't fly by in a blur, but drags on, with no stimuli to awaken my dulling senses. It feels like limbo. Every single day. Nothing. Hours and hours of absolutely nothing. At least, that's what it feels like. _Is this school? Is this life?_

Some people try to talk to me before school ends. I genuinely can not understand why. _Do you want me to tell you how to be smart? Go study yourself. Do you want to console me? People have been trying for a long time. Do you want to make me a friend? Why? What's wrong with you? Why would you want to waste your time with me?_

"Hey, ██████!"

"You busy this weekend?"

I walk away from them. The bell just rang anyway. I don't have a reason to be here. _I don't have a reason to be here._

When I get home, I go straight back to my room. No one else is home yet. The feeling in my eyes starts to numb. My cheeks feel wet. My throat feels like it's closing itself. I can barely see now. _Please… Somewhere else. Anywhere else. Back to that dream I keep having. That other world. Please._ I change my clothes, ready to go to bed. I don't bother waiting for my parents to get back. I don't feel hungry. _I just want to sleep. I don't want to be here anymore. I don't want to wake up._

_Then don't._

_What?_

_You don't have to wake up, right? You have those sleeping pills, right?_

_Yes. I can't fall asleep otherwise._

_Use more. If you use enough, then you won't wake back up._

_But that would mean…_

_You won't wake back up. You get to stay in that world. You never have to see this colorless place ever again._

_But… The other world._

_Isn't it better?_

_Yes, but… It's not real. Even when I'm there, I can feel that it isn't all there. It's even starting to feel _less_ real now. It's fading…_

_Enough pills, and it becomes your new reality._

…_Right…_

_Something better. Better than this limbo. This hell._

…_Right…_

_So, what are you waiting for, ██████? Let's go._

_Right. That's right. I want to stay there. I don't want to be here. I don't have a reason to be here. Nothing would change if I were to leave. No one would care. I'm better off in that other world. The better world. Not this place. Not hell. Heaven._


	6. Chapter 6

{Blanc}

The morning feels like it passes pretty fast. I say that I'm still tired, but really, I'm too busy trying to think of how I should talk to Frost. _He isn't causing any real problems, but if he isn't meant to be here, then who knows what could happen? I don't need a dimensional collapse or whatever just because I didn't take charge._

"Ram, what're you doing?" Frost questions, looming over her.

"What?!" Ram respond. "I ate breakfast, so now I'm gonna go play!"

"You didn't finish it…"

"Oh, whatever! You didn't even eat anything!"

"I ate earlier! Now, finish up, or you won't grow into a healthy adult." Frost stares at the ceiling for a moment. "Wait, do you three age?"

"Eh…" I respond. _He's a lot more animated and energetic now._ "I won't bore you with the details. Anyway, you two need energy, so eat up."

"Fine…" Ram mutters, returning to her seat.

Once Rom and Ram finish, they immediately head off to their room, leaving only Frost and I in the lounge. _Well, let's just get this over with. I'm overthinking it, anyway._ I walk over to him. He's idly staring out a window.

"Weather looks better today," he says without turning towards me.

"Yeah, it does," I admit. "Though that blizzard came out of absolutely nowhere, so I guess we never really know."

Silence surrounds us for a few moments.

"Hey, Frost?"

"Yeah?"

I get closer to him. "Well, if you'll let me be a bit blunt…"

"Go ahead."

I cross my arms. "You aren't from this dimension, are you?"

"…What?" he says with a look of confusion.

"I should've expected it to be something like this," I say, mostly to myself. "It's not super plausible that you came from some overseas continent. If you had amnesia, then you'd still probably remember the basics of the world you've lived in for your entire life… So, how? How'd you get here?"

"Uh, can you slow down…? If from another dimension? Really?"

"Yes, you are."

"Who told you that?"

"Nepgear. Plus, I did something thinking on my own… At first I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. Assume that you really didn't remember anything. But I trust Nepgear's account, and she even sent me a recording. You wouldn't have gotten so aggressive if you weren't fully aware of your situation."

"What did I say to Nepgear?"

"You told her not to tell anyone about what she was about to discover.

"Why would I say that?"

I stare at him. _Is he playing dumb?_ "Well, I assume that you were worried about someone learning your lie. About you not knowing anything about your past." I stop myself. "Wait, why the hell am I explaining this to you?! Just tell me how you got here!"

Frost backs away. "Uh, Blanc? Are you okay?"

I transform. "Just tell me already!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"They why did you say what you did to Nepgear?!"

"I did say anything to her!"

My voice suddenly disappears somewhere, and it takes several moments for me to find it again. "Wait, what?"

"And I don't know what you mean by alternate dimensions or whatever," Frost continues.

"W-Wait… Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

I transform back. "W-Well, uh…" _He can't be telling the truth, can he? But why would he keep lying like this? I thought he'd be more understanding…_

"And what do you mean I didn't understand anything when we first met?" Frost begins again. "I've lived here all my life. Of course know how Gamindustri works."

I cock my head to the side. _Did I hear him right?_ "What?"

"I mean… How could I forget about this place? Especially Lowee. It's great! Even if I could travel to some other dimension, why would I? This place is home. I'd never want to live anywhere else, and I'm glad I've never had to live anywhere else!"

_He's contradicting himself? What?_ "Uh, Frost… You know I was the one who explained everything to you, right? And gave you books to read so you could-" Suddenly, my emotions burst forth. "Damnit, why the hell am I explaining anything to you?! Stop lying and contradicting yourself! Just own up to it so he can send you home!"

"I am home."

"What the hell are you…?"

I look at him. Our eyes meet. His changed. They've always had an air of strangeness to them. A discomfort that I could just never fully understand. It didn't matter what he said or did; his eyes always bothered me. But now it's different. It isn't an idle strangeness. It's something deeper.

Frost walks over to me. "Say… You wanna go for another walk today? The twins told me you're pretty good at video games, so maybe we could play something instead?" He bends down, lessening our height difference. His eyes are even closer now, and it takes all of my will power to not instantly back away. "Honestly, I don't care what it is. I just think I'd be kinda bored if I spent the day alone, you know?" He smiles.

I turn around, internally relived that I don't have to keep looking at his eyes. "Hmm… I'll think about it. I've got a little more work to do."

"That's fine. Don't let me impede anything important." I walks towards the exit, passing by me. "I'll be in my room. Might check on the twins, too."

As he leaves, I get one last look at his eyes, and I realize what it is that's changed about them. Something's missing. There's less there. He's lost something. I can't explain what it is, but I know it was something important. His eyes reflect that clearly.

* * *

[Frost]

I lay on my bed. _This doesn't feel as comfortable as before. _I hear a knock on the door. _Different topic. Unrelated topic._ A moment later, Blanc enters. _Don't say it. Don't say anything._ "I need to pick up some supplies," she says. "If you still want to walk with me, this is your chance." _Thank you._ Tension fades from me, and I hope that she didn't notice how built up it was prior to her entry.

"I'll gladly take you up on that offer," I reply, standing up and putting on my jacket. "What do you need?"

"Writing materials. I've been neglecting to restock for a while, and it's finally caught up to me…"

"What do you need it for?"

"R-Record keeping." Her voice shakes for a moment. "I don't have a problem using a computer, but I still like to have back-ups."

"Understandable," I reply.

My curiosity urges me to press further, but that would be inviting her to ask me more questions. _How would I answer them, anyway? I've lived here forever. I've lived here forever._

_I've. Lived. Here. Forever._

Blanc asks Rom and Ram to join, but they decline. Once Blanc is certain that they'll be fine on their own for awhile, we head out. I still can't feel the cold. No snow is falling. I can't feel a breeze, either, but from the gentle sway of tree leaves, and the fluttering of Blanc's hair and skirt, I still notice it's presence. _Presence… Shouldn't there be more people out here?_ Then I notice them. Barely. Obscured objects, moving in the background. It's like they aren't even there.

_No cold. No wind. No snow. No people. Just the two of us. It's perfect, isn't it?_

"What are _you_ smiling about?" Blanc asks, retrieving me from my reverie.

"Hm? Oh, nothing," I reply. "Nice day, though, right?"

"Yeah, it really is…" The way she talks is melancholic. I step towards her with the intent of asking what's wrong, but she steps closer just before I do, forcing me to stop. "About earlier-"

"Quiet."

My response was automatic. The sudden silence was loud enough to make my ears ring. To me, the world around us has already faded, but now it felt like it was gone completely. Then, just as quickly as it had vanished, the world returns to how it was just a moment ago.

"What…?" Blanc asks.

"Hm? Did I say something?"

Blanc glares at me and takes a side path through a park, devoid of any people. I follow, and before long, she turns to face me. _What are you doing? Stop._

"Frost…" She bites her lip, then sighs. "Just be honest with me. Please?"

I keep walking. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what. Did your memories just return recently, or have you been hiding something from me the entire time?"

"Be quiet…"

"If you can't go back yourself, then I'm sure we can find away to-"

"Shut up."

Again, we stop walking. I don't turn around. "Excuse me?" Blanc says.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Frost-"

"SHUT UP!" I turn to face her. "I'm not causing any sort of harm, am I? You don't need to send me anywhere, right?"

"It isn't just about sending you back to where you belong, Frost. Just tell me the truth already. Do you have a way of going back? Do you have a reason for being here?"

"Shut up…"

"Frost."

"Stop talking…"

Blanc grunts, and her monotone breaks. "Damnit, Frost, what the hell is wrong with you?! Just give me a good reason, and I'll let you stay. If you're gonna keep getting defensive, then I'm not gonna give you that choice!" She sighs, and her voices calms. "I don't know what's going on with you. Stop lying. If you work with us, then we might not have to-"

I move without thinking and swing my arm around. Blanc holds up an arm and stops my attack effortlessly. She looks confused. "JUST SHUT UP!" I shout. I take a step back. "You don't know what you're doing. I'm _never_ going back there! NEVER! I CAN'T GO BACK!"

"You've gone back before! Nepgear-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! You don't know what kind of word I used to live in, so SHUT UP! I don't know how I got here, alright?! I don't know! But this place… It's so much better than that other world. _Anywhere_ is better than there!" I swing at her again, and again, she stops my clumsy excuse for an attack effortlessly. "I can't go back!" I take a step away from her when I see her eyes. The confusion has been mixed with fear and concern. "I can't go back… I can't, and I never want to!"

I walk passed her, heading back towards the Basilicom. "H-hey, wait!" Blanc says. She's close to me. "Frost, we need to talk! Tell me what's-"

I turn around. Our eyes are inches apart. She backs away so quickly that she stumbles and falls down. "Just stop talking…" I tell her, before I keep walking away.

_Just stop talking to me…_

_Is that any way to treat the person who's taken you in?_

_Shut up._

_She could kill you if she wanted. Banish you from Lowee, and make sure none of the there nations let you in. No one would miss you._

_Quiet._

_Just go to sleep, why don't you? You won't wake up._

_No._

_What?_

_I'm not going to sleep. Sleep is what takes me back to that other world._

_Ah, good point! You don't feel cold, you don't need to sleep, and I doubt you have to eat. This really is heaven, isn't it?_

_Yeah… It really is._

_Even if you are banished, you'd still be able to live. Hell, you might even be immortal now!_

_I…_

_Right?_

_Yeah… You're right._

I make it back to the Basilicom. I take a few books. I return to my room. _Don't blame us for this. This is _her _fault. She's caused this suffering._

_Blanc… Why did you do this? Why did you have to open your mouth?! Why couldn't you have just stayed quite?! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?! Blanc's fault. Why would she do this to me? Some shitty Goddess she is._

_Is that really true?_

…_No… No, it isn't…_

* * *

{Blanc}

I wake up, and my mind is almost immediately filled with thoughts of yesterday. _Frost… What happened to you? What's he been dealing with up until now…?_ I take a deep breath, and dry, cold air claws at my throat. _Lowee and Gamindustri as a whole are the most important thing. Remember that. For now, he's too unpredictable. We have to send him back. There's no room to argue. Especially not if he's going to act like that…_

It's earlier that I would usually wake up, and I barely got any sleep last night, but despite how tired the rest of my body is, my mind is too active for me to fall back asleep. Eventually, I crawl out of bed, clean myself up, and leave my room. I sleepily stumble through the halls with slightly blurred vision.

"Hey, Blanc."

My senses suddenly sharpen as I see Frost standing before me. I wasn't ready to encounter him, so my mind rushes through a myriad of emotions. However, before I can act on any of them, he keeps walking. I follow him into the lounge, and find him pacing. His eyes stare off into nothing. I feel to unnerved to eat.

As I instead take a look around, I notice that books are scattered everywhere, tables and chairs have been rearranged, and the floor is littered with damp footprints and melting snow.

"Oh, sorry about the mess," Frost says. "I can clean it up in a bit."

"How long have you been up?" I ask. He gives me a confused look. I decide to change my question. "When did you wake up?"

"I didn't sleep," Frost responds, as he starts to organize some books.

"Really…?" The thought of a sleepless night makes me yawn. "Well, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night either."

"I'm sorry…"

_That…wasn't what I was expecting…_ However, I don't instantly forget about yesterday. "What was with you yesterday?" I ask.

He walks over to me, and we both sit down at a table. "I didn't quite understand it at first, but by the time I met you, I had already figured it out. Every time I fall asleep, I go back to my world, and vice versa. I really didn't understand anything about this world when I first arrived, though…"

"Why did you lie?"

"So you wouldn't try to send me back."

"…Is is really that bad? Where you came from?"

"I could tolerate it, but… When I ended up here, I though it was a dream. When I met you, it became a truly wonderful dream, and eventually, it stopped feeling like a dream at all. Another world. A world so much better than that other one. And after experiencing this world, I realized just how terrible the other is. I always knew it was hell, but I endured it because I didn't see any other choice. But this world… It's like heaven."

"Is that so…?"

"But it doesn't matter," Frost interrupts. "Because now I'll never go back." He smiles as he says it, and it becomes even clearer just how unhinged he's become. "I can't go back. I threw away that pitiful excuse for a life, and I got this wonderful one instead."

_Can't go back?_ Before I can question him, he keeps talking. "But now… This world is fading. The wonder I had experienced is melting away. It's becoming more and more like that other world." He reaches across the table and takes my hands in his. They're both icy cold, and I would've pulled away if I wasn't distracted by the look in his eyes. It froze me more than his hands ever could. "Haven't you realized it? The way this world is fading away into a dull, colorless husk?"

"What?!" I pull my hands free and stand up. "The hell are you talking about?! Nothing has happened to Lowee."

"You… You just don't see it…" Frost stands as well. "That's why you can't send me back! We have to find a way to stop what's happening to this world. We have to return it to how it used to-"

"You're delusional…"

"…What?"

"You've been acting strange for awhile now, but I wasn't sure why. I still don't know if it's true, but…" I bite my lip and stare directly at Frost's eyes. _They're so…empty. He doesn't look sad or angry or happy or…anything._ "You aren't meant to be in our world, and… It might be affecting you."

"No." It was a simple response, without a hint of emotion to emphasize it. "You don't understand. We need to save this world. It can't end up like that other one." He stakes a step closer to me. "I'll do anything. Whatever I have to in order to save the world. You're a Goddess, right? You can do something, right? Because I can't. I wouldn't be able to help this world. But you can. You have to. I can't do anything to help you. I want to help you!"

I walk backwards to get away from him. _He's starting to freak me out…_ "Frost, slow down, alright? Try and think about what you're saying, because it doesn't make any sense."

He isn't looking at me, and it doesn't seem like he's talking to me. He's talking to himself as he paces around the room. "This world is fake. But I can't wake up again, so it's pretty much real. But it's losing it's appeal. The Goddess can restore it! Only you can see it. Only I can see it… Because it's not real. Nothing is real. But Blanc is real. This world could be real. This is heaven. This is my new reality, because the other one is gone."

"FROST! SHUT UP!" I yell. I do it for both our sakes. He looks like he's losing his mind, while at the same time, I just don't want to listen to him anymore. It makes my skin crawl and my head hurt.

Then, he seems to return to normal. Or at least, much closer to normal. "Please… Please don't send me back…" He falls to his knees, and looks down. "I don't want to go back… I'll do anything. Whatever I need to do for you to let me stay here."

"Frost…" I swallow. "You aren't meant to be here. You have to go back. Maybe it'll be fine if you come back again, but for now-"

"I can't go back."

"…What do you mean by?"

"I'm sleeping in the other world. I'm sleeping, and I won't wake up. And I won't fall asleep here. I can't. There's no time to rest and waste my experience here in heaven. Despite how flawed it is, I don't want to miss a single second. And in the other world, I'm asleep. Eternally asleep. Eternally trapped in paradise forever…" He begins to laugh quietly as he throws his head back and looks up at the ceiling.

_What… What the hell is happening? How did this happen to him? Was he always like this, or… It has to be our world, right? It's screwing with him, and now he's not making any sense… It's possible that his world isn't actually that bad, with how delusional he is…_

Suddenly, he's stood up, and made his way over to me. I nearly jump when I notice him through the fog of my thoughts. "Please…" he begins in a small voice. "Let me stay here. Don't send me back. Please don't send me back… I'll do anything…"

"Frost…"

"If you would just listen to me, we could-"

"Shut up." His face returns to a disturbing neutral. "You have to go back."

"I can't go back."

"You could go back before!" I take a deep breath and steady my breathing. "What do you mean 'you can't go back'? …What did you mean by 'eternal sleep'?"

"I traded my old life for a new one." I stare at him, dumbfounded. _He… D-Did he really…?_ He walks towards me, and I instinctively brace myself. He walks right passed me. "I'm sorry." He walks off, presumably back to his room.

_A dead body… Right next to my room…_

* * *

[Frost]

_What's wrong with me?_

_You killed yourself, idiot._

_Why?_

_Desperation? Idiocy? It doesn't matter, anyway. It's done._

_Will I be okay here?_

_Probably not. You see everything around you fading when no one else does._

_So…am I the one whose fading?_

_Most likely._

_This is weird. I've been walking for so long, but I don't feel tired._

_Never mind how the snow doesn't make you feel cold._

_Not hungry either._

_Since you aren't sleeping anymore on top of all that, you should have more than enough time to…_

_To do what?_

_You don't do much, do you?_

_No._

_Maybe you could go back and talk to Blanc? Hang out with her._

_She hates me._

_You sure?_

_She shouldn't be burdened with dealing with someone like me. She's a wonderful person. Her time should be spent with people who deserve it. Wasting time on a worthless waste of space like me doesn't make any sense._

_This isn't so different from the old world, is it?_

_Yeah, I guess not…_

_You're an idiot._

_Yeah… But, it wasn't like this at first, was it?_

_Only you can see these 'changes'._

_Has the world changed, or have I changed?_

_You're dead._

_Oh… Right._

_Maybe you should've stayed in that old world after all?_

_But it was awful._

_Was it?_

_Maybe not._

_I'm sure it had it's good parts, but you just had to focus on all the bad. Then, for some reason, you started to see the bad here, and it obscured all the good that you saw with those fresh, innocent eyes of yours when you first arrived. Am I right?_

_I don't think so…_

_Really now?_

_Good, bad… I don't really see much of either. It's there in both worlds. I know that, but… Both have faded away. Everything is dull. Colorless. No good parts and no bad parts. That's always how I viewed the old world, and now it's happening here._

_That's just how you see things through those dead eyes of yours. Figuratively dead before, but now that it's literal, it extends to your dreams. A shame._

_Is this really a dream?_

_Guess there's no way to know for sure._

_Blanc isn't a dream._

_Really?_

_She isn't affected by all of this… Why? She's just as beautiful as when I first saw her. The first day I arrived here. I saw her, and the world around me suddenly grew saturated in vibrant color. It was amazing. I never thanked her for that, did?_

_You think she'd understand? Doesn't sound like she did anything herself._

_I guess not…_

_So, why her? Just got a thing for petite girls?_

_I don't know._

_Well, she is a Goddess, so maybe that has something to do with it._

_But I didn't feel anything similar with the others. Even Rom and Ram have been wrapped in emptiness. Everyone and everything is being drained of apparent life. Everything is so dull and empty and colorless… …How long have I been walking?_

_No clue. Tired yet? Cold?_

_Of course not._

_Figured as much._

_Am I going straight? Circling?_

_No idea._

_Is the wind dying down? I can't feel it. It's much quieter._

_No, that tree is still shaking pretty violently._

_Ah. It is sort of hard to walk. Wait, what tree? I can barely see. Where are the stars?_

_Does it matter?_

_I guess not._

_What matters, then?_

_I don't know._

_So, does nothing matter, then? Is your life here just as pointless as your life was in the old world?_

_I think they're just as valuable._

_What did you care about in the old world?_

_Nothing, really._

_What do you care about here?_

…_Blanc._

_Creepy. I thought you didn't want to bother her?_

_I can't fade away. Not yet. I want to see her one more time. I would rest if I could, but… I can't feel anything. Where are we?_

_No clue._

_Am I still here?_

…

_This monotonous, dull suffering. It's exactly what I wanted to get away from. Yet, here I am. I tried to run, but I ended up trapped within exactly what I was trying so desperately to avoid. Is this inevitable? Is this life?_

…

_Help… Someone, somehow, help…_

…

_Blanc… Can I see you? Talk to you? No… I don't deserve that. But, you're a Goddess. Maybe you can kill me in this world. Could you let me die? Please?_

…

_What time is it? How long have I been walking? Am I already dead?_

_I don't know._

* * *

{Blanc}

Weeks ago, Frost disappeared. That's not the weird part, though. No one remembers him. I've talked with Rom, Ram, Nepgear, and everyone else, but no one remembers him. _Something to do with that reality distortion or whatever Nepgear was talking about. I guess he finally went home. __Right? _I check his room everyday. I look careful at each and every person in, entering, or leaving Lowee. _So why do _I _still remember…?_ As much as I'd like to move on, I can't.

After making some good progress on my novel, I decide to take a walk. My mind wanders. _Why haven't I forgotten Frost? This can't be some elaborate prank to screw with me, can it? If it is, it's in pretty bad taste…_

I stop walking and look around me. _Jeez, where did I walk to?_ I'm near the end of a path leading out of the main city and towards a small park. Actually, park is pretty generous. It's just a tree and a bench in a circular area. Strangely, neither the path nor circle have any snow on them. _Has this…always been here? Weird…_ I walk into the circle. I feel relaxed as I take a seat on the bench, and look out upon the snow covered plains that surround Lowee.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

I nearly jump at the sudden voice. I frantically look around, before my eyes reach the ground. Laying there on the stone, tapping his fingers, staring straight up at the sky, is Frost. He looks the same as when i last saw him. Except for his eyes. Now, they're completely white. An ivory emptiness.

His eyes seem to shift slightly. I can make out a slightly lighter tint of white where I assume his pupils are meant to be. "Hi, Blanc," he says. "Do you like it here? It's started to grow on me."

"…What happened to…?"

"I'm sure you figured it out. To some extent, at least."

"So… You're really dead, then?"

"I killed myself in the other world. Pretty naive in hindsight."

"Is that place really so bad?"

"No, I don't think it was. I just thought it was at the time." He laughs. "I'm an idiot. Well, what's done is done. Now I'd just like to fade away, but for some reason, I haven't yet. I'm just glad the voices finally stopped. If this really is the afterlife, it's not so bad." His eyes shift towards me again. "Though, I guess I'm not fully gone yet, am I? You haven't died, right?"

"No… Everyone's forgotten about you."

"Really? Well, that makes sense."

"It does?"

"I was never supposed to be in this world, right? Still no clue how I ended up here, but I guess that's not important anymore. I guess this is just reality trying to fix itself and erase any trace that I was ever here. Any idea why you remember me?"

"No, sorry. So, do you think the people from your world have forgotten you too?"

"No, but I'm sure they've moved on. Most of them were probably expecting something like this to happen eventually. Overwhelming anxiety and depression. No mater what anyone tried, it never left me. I didn't make much of an effort to hide it from them. I'm sure this didn't surprise anyone too much, and they were all able to accept my death and move on."

"But… You had a family, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Friends?"

"Not really."

"Do you miss them?"

"No. It's not like I don't appreciate them, though. They genuinely tried to help me, and even when it proved pointless, everyone was still very kind to me. Still, I don't think I ever felt anything towards anyone."

"So, you just want to fade away, then?"

He laughs again. "I really should've made more of an effort to turn things around. I probably would have enjoyed life, especially with how nice everyone was. No point dwelling on it, though. I guess fading away wouldn't be so bad. It's what I've always wanted, so I shouldn't complain."

"Then… Why are you still here?"

"That's probably your fault."

"O-Oh…"

"Don't worry, it's not a bad thing. Not at all."

Slowly, Frost stands up. He slowly steps towards me, and takes a seat next to me on the bench. I notice that there isn't any wind. I don't feel very cold either. I move my hand towards Frost's and hold it. It isn't cold. He move closer to each other.

"So, what do I need to do to let you move on?"

"I still don't know what it is about you," he says, ignoring my question. "You know, I bet that, if I wasn't such an idiot, you could've played a big part in fixing my life. Maybe if I simply enjoyed my time here and let that happiness bleed over into the other world, things would've been better. Instead, I got greedy, and thought I could live only in this world. Oh well…" He turns towards me. Oddly, his eyes are actually less disturbing now. "Thank you."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Don't think so hard about it. If you really need more elaboration, then thank you for existing."

"That doesn't help much."

He smiles. "Well… I'd say I'm satisfied."

"So…" I look away, and back towards Lowee. For some reason, it's much less vibrant than I remember. "Does that mean you're…"

When I turn back, Frost is gone. His jacket lays on the bench, neatly folded.

The wind suddenly picks up, and a chill runs through my body. Snow begins to fall, dotting the stone and bench. I look back towards Lowee, and see that it looks exactly like it always does. I stand up, and lift the jacket.

…

_Wait, whose jacket is this?_ I look around. This tiny rest area is empty. _Looks like it was from that old man's store. I guess I'll take it to him._ I walk down the path and back into Lowee. _I really need to stop getting so distracted. I don't even remember why I walked all the way out here._ I glance back as I keep walking. _Not a bad little place, though. Quaint. Peaceful. Might be a good place to read. On days that are less cold and windy, anyway._

I head back into Lowee, drop off the jacket (which was apparently missing inventory), and return to the Basilicom. After dinner with Rom and Ram, I return to my room to work. For some reason, my ideas seem to be more vivid and much easier to describe. The words spill out so quickly that my fingers can barely keep up.

_What a wonderful world I'm creating…_ I feel a hint of pride as I head off to bed. _If I'm lucky, maybe I'll visit it tonight…_ My body numbs and my consciousness starts to fade. _Beautiful, fantastical, serene… Inevitably forg__otten…_

…_D__re__ams…_


End file.
